Chapter 683: The Highlight Moment of Hidden Suffering

"This is too much!"

Luo Yin's anger immediately clouded his judgment. At this moment, even though he was bound by his mission from the Luo Tian Palace not to easily offend heirs of the Taixu Noble Families or higher in Dongtian King City, he could no longer hold back.

He had asked Young Master Xu about his identity, but Young Master Xu had completely evaded the question. He had shown courtesy first, but the other party had only responded with sarcasm and ridicule. Moreover, on the Heavenly Net Battlefield, one was responsible for their own life and death. With this premise, even if a Half-Saint Noble Family came seeking trouble afterward, he would have a reason to evade responsibility and be able to completely extricate himself from Young Master Xu's death. Indeed, in Luo Yin's eyes, Young Master Xu De-Ye, who still had his back to him and continued to laugh maniacally, was now undoubtedly a dead man!

"Saba Sacred Body, activate!"

Luo Yin tilted his head back, his posture arrogant and unrestrained. His training attire rustled in the wind. Under his call, void elements brightened like sudden starlight, instantly converging into his Qi Sea and unlocking the seals within his body. The next moment, a golden radiance burst forth from Luo Yin. The radiance then condensed and gathered around his right arm. Instantly, his right arm glowed with scorching golden light, as if covered by the world's hardest crystal armor.

"Saba Battle Fist!"

A single punch, striking through the air, shot towards Young Master Xu, who still had his back to him.

"Watch out—"

Mu Zixi was hiding in a tree. She was also in the path of the golden light from the punch, so she immediately pulled Xiao Wanfeng aside to dodge, while loudly warning Xu Xiaoshou. But as soon as the words left her mouth, she suddenly realized that all surrounding sounds had completely vanished.

At this moment, even the atmosphere itself seemed to have been annihilated, and all elements between heaven and earth had been completely devoured by the Saba Sacred Body. With a punch that drew the world into a vacuum, all the energy, fueled by Luo Yin's fury, ruthlessly targeted Young Master Xu, who appeared to be utterly defenseless.

"Young Master Xu..." Xiao Wanfeng opened his mouth, muttering silently. Although Young Master Xu had treated him quite unfairly, he was, after all, a self-proclaimed protective shade tree. Even when he was tormented bitterly, Young Master Xu would always step in to save him at critical moments. How could Xiao Wanfeng, then, simply watch this seemingly unreliable Young Master Xu, who deep down still considered him one of his own, die before his eyes?

Everything in his vision seemed to slow down. The golden light unleashed by the Saba Battle Fist stretched into a brilliant golden rainbow as it traveled. But as this light met Xiao Wanfeng's gaze, it transformed into something else.

"A golden longsword..." Xiao Wanfeng's pupils dilated. He suddenly realized that if he used the Hidden Sword Art, he could flash behind Young Master Xu, absorb the energy entirely without having to endure it, and then swing it back out.

"This is the art of Shifting Stars and Reversing Dipper!" Xiao Wanfeng became excited. He didn't know what was happening to him, to generate such a bold idea. But ever since the 'Ten-Mile Sword Cry' incident, he felt that the Way of the Sword, which permeated heaven and earth, no longer concealed itself from him but was instead clearly visible. And for everything he wanted to try, his mind gained clarity, as if divinely aided. Whatever he envisioned, he could accomplish!

"I can save him." Xiao Wanfeng was utterly certain at this moment. He instinctively struggled, wanting to break free from Mu Zixi's grasp and go to the rescue.

However...

"Stop moving!" Mu Zixi unceremoniously gave him a sharp knock on the head, then hoisted him up again, preventing him from rushing forward. Xiao Wanfeng felt as if his waist was about to snap, gasping in pain. But having missed the critical moment, it was already too late to go to the rescue.

"Boom—"

A deafening explosion erupted from Young Master Xu's position. The terrifying blast wave surged outwards, engulfing and sending unrelated competitors flying. This explosion was completely beyond what any of the innate cultivators present could withstand. However, the competitors on the field couldn't see it. Those in the spectator stands, however, with their focused attention, witnessed Young Master Xu seemingly vanish just an instant before the explosion.

"He's gone?""Did I see wrong?""Did he teleport, or was he completely obliterated by the heat wave at the explosion's epicenter?""Look... behind Luo Yin!"

*Thud*.

As sharp-eyed spectators saw, after his vanishing technique, Xu Xiaoshou immediately appeared behind Luo Yin in a single step, as if ascending to heaven. To him, no matter how powerful an explosion, as long as it didn't shatter space and destabilize its rules, there was no technique in this world that could completely lock him down.

"You made the first move, you know." Xu Xiaoshou spoke softly, a grin spreading across his lips, and raised his fist just as unceremoniously. Unlike Luo Yin's supremely brilliant punch, Xu Xiaoshou's fist was utterly unassuming. It showed no trace of light, and even to the eyes of a Spirit Cultivator, it contained not a single wisp of spiritual energy.

—Pure physical strength!

"Is he joking?" Spectators shot to their feet in surprise. Was this punch meant to tickle Luo Yin? However, laymen watch the spectacle, while experts observe the intricacies. As a fellow practitioner of body cultivation, how could Luo Yin not feel the terrifying power contained within Xu Xiaoshou's unadorned punch?

"What kind of Sacred Body is this?""Explosive attributes, and also this level of physical strength?"

Though perplexed, Luo Yin didn't hesitate. His body ducked with light-speed agility, and he threw an uppercut to meet Xu Xiaoshou's fist. As Luo Yin unleashed this punch, he also gathered boundless spiritual energy in a flash, forming yet another "Saba Battle Fist."

The power, once gathered, was unleashed again, like an arrow shot from a bowstring—unstoppable. Just as Luo Yin thought this would be the beginning of a head-on clash, an instant before their fists were about to meet, Young Master Xu chuckled, wearing an expression that seemed to say, "You fell for it." The next second, his body abruptly vanished.

"Boom!"

A brilliant golden light, without preamble, shot from the Saba Battle Fist towards the horizon, transforming into a golden streak that flew towards the spectator stands. The audience erupted in chaos. But before the streak of light could descend, an elder appeared and, with a flick of his sleeve, absorbed the divine technique.

"Thump!"

Amidst the panic, everyone noticed that despite the apparent head-on collision, there was a second sound! As this second sound echoed, Luo Yin stumbled backward, clutching his lower back, completely losing his composure. He turned back in disbelief, his eyes filled with shock.

"Phew." Xu Xiaoshou, on the field, blew on his fist and chuckled, "Yours is called 'Saba Battle Fist.' Mine... is called the 'Invincible Kidney Punch.' No need to be surprised." In truth, Xu Xiaoshou himself was the one who should have been surprised. He knew exactly how powerful his punch was. Yet, a full-force strike from a Grandmaster's body, even with a successful sneak attack, only made Luo Yin stumble back a few steps. If it had been anyone else, wouldn't they have been torn apart and died on the spot?

"Is the Sacred Body really that strong?" Xu Xiaoshou felt a reluctance to directly clash with him. This guy was simply impossibly strong.

"What happened?" Unlike Xu Xiaoshou's clear understanding, most of the audience was utterly bewildered. It was clearly meant to be a direct clash of punches, yet Young Master Xu was unharmed, while Luo Yin was shoved back repeatedly in the direction from which he had punched. It looked as if Luo Yin had punched thin air. The real Young Master Xu had already ambushed him, secretly targeting his lower back from the shadows.

"Teleportation?" Luo Yin on the field wasn't astonished by Young Master Xu's strength, only by his change in footwork at the critical moment. In that instant, although no spatial fluctuations could be felt, the opponent hadn't directly teleported; rather, he had vanished and then reappeared. This meant that Young Master Xu's temporary shift in tactics wasn't just a single move. The vanished spatial fluctuations were completely concealed by his previous, unknown spiritual technique. And if it truly was teleportation... then this guy was perhaps a bit too terrifying, wasn't he?

"Keep guessing!" Xu Xiaoshou said cheerfully, pulling out Hidden Pain from his chest ring. To be honest, his physical strength was no longer his strongest combat power. At the moment, he couldn't use the famous sword Yanmang, or four of his other fierce swords, as it might expose his identity. So, if he were to use swordsmanship, only Hidden Pain remained.

"Long time no see, my dear!" Xu Xiaoshou lowered his head, caressing Hidden Pain, which he hadn't used in a long time, a faint light shimmering in his eyes. Under the nourishment of the Sword Observation Art, this black sword had already ascended to the rank of a Seventh-Grade Spirit Sword, reaching the peak of innate cultivation, just like himself. Even if a Seventh-Grade Spirit Sword had its own unique name and peculiar personality, to outsiders, it would have no distinct identifiable features. Even if one were to go to the Heavenly Sang Spirit Palace, it was likely that many there would possess Spirit Swords with similar appearances.

"Buzz—"

As Hidden Pain emerged, it vibrated excitedly, and simultaneously, all the swords carried by sword cultivators around them began to softly hum and tremble. Xiao Wanfeng gripped the wooden sword on his back that was now trembling, his expression filled with excitement. Although he hadn't been able to save Young Master Xu earlier... He realized now that he had been impulsive. Young Master Xu was a true Sword Sovereign! In his moment of excitement, he, a mere mortal, had actually worried about a Sword Sovereign. Thinking about it now, it was simply absurd!

"A sword?" It proved that human emotions are not mutually intelligible. When Young Master Xu drew his sword, everyone was once again puzzled.

"So, my Young Master Xu is not just a Sacred Body, not just explosive in attribute, but essentially, he's also a sword cultivator?" The spectators were somewhat incredulous. But when they saw all the swords on the field respond to his presence, they had no choice but to believe.

"This Young Master Xu's Sword Dao artistic conception is probably quite high.""Yes, after all, even his subordinate awakened Innate Sword Intent. No matter how mediocre he is...""Holy crap! Could he be a Sword Sovereign too?"

Everyone suddenly realized that the scene of ten thousand swords humming in unison was not right. Luo Yin also grasped this point.

"A Sword Sovereign?" He paused for a moment, then immediately lunged forward. What if he was a Sword Sovereign? As long as it was close combat, even with a sword, he couldn't withstand a Sacred Body! To Luo Yin's surprise, as he lunged forward, Young Master Xu in front of him vanished instantly.

"Teleportation again?" Luo Yin abruptly halted his steps, but in his spiritual perception, he saw Young Master Xu appear distinctly behind him. One step, two steps, three steps... The guy seemed to have overshot his charge. His figure reappeared in everyone's sight, slowly walking three full steps on the somewhat broken ground before gradually sheathing his sword. He seemed to be still immersed in his own artistic conception... And he even had the leisure to raise a hand and casually brush aside some stray hairs from his forehead... Then he said indifferently:

"West Wind, Withered Snow."

The sword blade fully entered the sheath, its guard tapping against the scabbard's mouth with a soft sound. Spiritual energy suddenly surged around Young Master Xu. He finally used his spiritual energy, but it was just to create a breeze! The purpose was to create the feeling of a breeze sweeping past, clothes gently swaying, sword intent fluttering, and an ethereal aura... Both the audience and Luo Yin were utterly bewildered. This unprovoked sword move was simply too ostentatious!

"Clang—"

While everyone was still confused, a brilliant white sword light, forming a circular shape, suddenly burst forth from Luo Yin's neck. After a fleeting appearance, the sword energy vanished into the air.

"Cough, cough, cough..." Luo Yin suddenly clutched his neck and coughed violently. It wasn't teleportation! He was terrified. That guy, with a single sword move and incredibly high speed, had fiercely swept a circle around his neck! If it weren't for his Sacred Body, wouldn't he have been decapitated on the spot without even realizing it?

"Hiss—" The spectators clearly recognized the horror of that sword move. The circle of white sword light that had bloomed around Luo Yin's neck was simply an unstoppable, razor-sharp weapon. Even a Grandmaster, caught unprepared, would likely have fallen victim to it.

"What a terrifying sword!" Xiao Wanfeng was also stunned. This dazzling sword move, devoid of any flashy, impractical flourishes common among Spirit Sword cultivators, transformed into the pinnacle of cutting power with extreme speed. It was practically...

"It's practically a simplified version of the 'Penetrating Way'!" Xiao Wanfeng exclaimed inwardly. He believed that if Young Master Xu continued to practice this single move, he would definitely master the "Penetrating Way," which broke through everything, among the Three Thousand Sword Daos.

"West Wind, Withered Snow?" On the other side, Luo Yin finally began to treat this plain, unremarkable Seventh-Grade Spirit Sword with seriousness. He had been completely unable to react to the extreme speed of that sword move before. And just now, he hadn't felt even a trace of spiritual energy from that ultimate cutting power. That could only mean...

"You're an ancient sword cultivator!" Only an ancient sword cultivator could cause ordinary Spirit Cultivators, accustomed to "tracking enemies by sensing spiritual energy," to completely overlook moves and techniques that adhered solely to the Way of the Sword.

"Didn't break it?" Xu Xiaoshou turned back, somewhat surprised. He had already prepared his calm and collected finishing pose, but now things were awkward. The sword move he thought was his strongest attack couldn't even break through the Sacred Body's defense...

"Alright, one more time..." Without the slightest hesitation, as soon as his 'Perception' noticed Luo Yin preparing himself, Xu Xiaoshou took a step forward, and *whoosh*, his body vanished again.

"Again?" This time, not only was Luo Yin prepared, but the spectators were also eagerly waiting.

"Where is he?""An afterimage...""Yes, look at the afterimage! So fast. He really hasn't changed his move. Look at the faint afterimage indicating his direction—it's that same sword move again.""Is Young Master Xu stupid? He needs to switch swords! How can a Seventh-Grade Spirit Sword break through a Sacred Body's defense?""There he is—"

Everyone waited cautiously. Yet, everyone could still only catch a glimpse of that swift afterimage. Luo Yin was no exception. He had clearly raised his focus to the maximum, seriously guarding against all changes around him, yet he still lost perception of Young Master Xu after a momentary discomfort in his neck.

"Tap, tap, tap..." Again, slow, leisurely footsteps sounded. Again, the slow, three-step sword sheathing. And again, after sheathing the sword, that incredibly ostentatious phrase, "West Wind, Withered Snow"...

Luo Yin was furious. He had already activated his spiritual energy to protect his neck, and at this moment, he had no fear of Young Master Xu's Seventh-Grade Spirit Sword. The reason the opponent kept using the same ineffective attack was clear enough to deduce with one's toes: he was humiliating him!

"Are you trying to provoke me?" Luo Yin's eyes gleamed with a cold light as he said chillingly, "I'm sorry, your sword move has no effect on me whatsoever... *Pfft*!" Mid-sentence, he suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. Veins bulged on his face, and his entire body convulsed, as if enduring an indelible agony.

The next second.

"Swoosh—"

This time, there was no sound of weapons clashing. Instead, with a clean *swoosh*, as the white sword light bloomed in a circle, blood splattered from Luo Yin's neck, spraying in all directions, as if drawing an eerie blood array.

"My apologies." Xu Xiaoshou brushed back the black hair from his forehead, turned his head, and chuckled, "I just wanted to test what level of attack could break through the Sacred Body's defense, that's all."

Yes, with this sword strike, he had used his sword thought. For months, he had cultivated the sword thought of Hidden Pain through observation, holding it back, waiting for the day it would emerge brilliantly to astonish the world. Very successfully, the Seventh-Grade Spirit Sword, Hidden Pain, achieved its peak accomplishment at this moment. With a single sword stroke, it broke through the Sacred Body's defense!