Chapter 74: Night Is Truly Beautiful

Am I weak? Not really.

Xu Xiaoshou realized he had severely overestimated these two, blinded by their apparent power.

In a true life-or-death battle, unless both opponents are fools, victory or defeat is never determined by cultivation level alone. This is completely different from an arena match; it’s about favorable conditions, advantageous terrain, and human factors. All are truly indispensable.

He had discovered their intentions in advance due to his "Perception," and the terrain, unexpectedly altered by his cultivation and lottery draws, had influenced their judgment. This had led to the subsequent series of suspicions. It’s undeniable, of course, that his quick thinking and improvisation had saved his life.

Hmm… To put it bluntly, he was smart!

Xu Xiaoshou felt a pang of fear afterward. If he hadn’t managed to bluff them at that moment, and they had attacked, the outcome would have been two more easily defeated opponents. Of course, after this battle, he also felt that even if both of them had attacked together, they might not have been his match.

"I'm getting a bit carried away..." Xu Xiaoshou lightly slapped his own head.

Gazing at the misty rain over Goose Lake, Xu Xiaoshou fell silent. In the first rain since he arrived in this world, two people had died… Including Wen Chong, he now had three lives on his hands. Indeed, the world had changed. If he couldn't adapt properly, perhaps he would be the next to die.

Huh? Wen Chong? These two guys couldn't possibly be here to avenge Wen Chong, could they?!

Xu Xiaoshou suddenly thought that although death in the arena was generally disregarded, and Wen Chong had attacked first, he might not have been a solitary individual. It was entirely possible someone would seek revenge after his death!

"This..." Xu Xiaoshou was stunned. He was at a disadvantage due to his lack of background; he hadn't considered this at all. Looking at it this way, this idea was entirely plausible. Two assassins died today; it’s likely more will come another day…

"My heavens, won't this be endless?!" Xu Xiaoshou clutched his head.

Wait! Who could these two guys be? Just assassins? Not necessarily! Those who can freely enter and exit the Spirit Palace can only be insiders, in other words, their own people. But to insist these two were from the Inner Sanctum, Xu Xiaoshou could accept it at first, but now he was a bit skeptical. So weak, could they really be individuals who had cultivated in the Inner Sanctum for at least two years?

Xu Xiaoshou’s eyes darted about, and he suddenly realized something was wrong: Could it be that they weren't too weak… but I was too strong?

"Getting carried away again..." Xu Xiaoshou gave himself another slap.

The only thing he was curious about was that the last, stoic guy couldn't withstand his sword strike... "He was at least a Dwelling Void stage cultivator; there’s no reason for him to be so weak, right?" "But even Mo Mo could withstand two of my sword strikes..."

Xu Xiaoshou was certain that even if he had swallowed ten Spirit-Refining Pills, the power of his "Sword Draw Form" might have increased, but it was definitely not doubled. He couldn't even block it... How was that possible?! Mo Mo even took one of his sword strikes!

"Could it be that Mo Mo is stronger than that guy?" Xu Xiaoshou found the idea utterly absurd, but he thought again of Mo Mo's unsealed right hand and her mysterious "Sealing Power." Among all the people he had met, he had never seen such a strange power. Even with the two earlier individuals, he could roughly deduce their innate elemental attributes. The first one was likely metal attribute, similar to his own "Sharpness," and only managed one attack. The second one was likely blood attribute, his bloodied hand... Hmm, he didn't even land a single effective attack!

"Sealing Arts..."

Xu Xiaoshou fell into deep thought; perhaps there really were people with extraordinary talents, just like himself! "I'll ask Elder Qiao if I get the chance..." He didn't dwell on it too much; the world was vast and full of wonders, and his own innate physical body probably seemed just as strange to others.

And he even had innate sword intent...

"Hehe!"

Xu Xiaoshou regained his composure; this battle had more so helped him pinpoint his own strength level. He had unknowingly acquired long-range offensive capabilities, and they were instant, super-powerful cutting techniques—the kind that even a suspected Dwelling Void stage cultivator couldn't block after he took medicine. Hmm, certain special individuals were exceptions.

Close-quarters combat... This should actually be his strong suit, but to be safe, he hadn't been able to use it tonight. However, from the strike of the guy in the courtyard, it was clear that with "Reverberation," few people could directly kill him. Melee combat should also be incredibly strong, after all, he had eight innate passive abilities combined… In short, what doesn’t kill me only makes me stronger.

Uh, and also that disgustingly deadly "Ashen Sky Flame"... Actually, it should be called "Ashen Sky Conflagration," but this was a true pure spiritual skill. If his cultivation level wasn't high enough, he couldn't fully unleash it; being able to incinerate one person was already good. Instantly incinerate ten thousand square miles… Hmm, I should go back to sleep. Anything is possible in dreams.

"I still need to cultivate diligently!" "If my strength could just overwhelmingly crush everything without thinking, fighting wouldn’t be so exhausting—it’s a waste of brain cells…"

Xu Xiaoshou stretched, yawned, and an endless weariness washed over him. This night had been… First, he was tormented by the "Ashen Fire Seed," then experienced emotional highs and lows from dozens of consecutive draws, his spring dream was abruptly interrupted, and after draining countless brain cells, he also killed two people... It was truly something else!

He should just go back to sleep, otherwise, he didn't know what other strange things might happen.

Just as Xu Xiaoshou was about to turn around, the information panel in his mind suddenly refreshed:

"Under observation, Passive Points, +1."

"..."

Damn it!

Xu Xiaoshou froze, unsure whether to turn or not to turn. "What's going on? I was just thinking it; I didn't say it out loud! It can't be considered a jinx!" "What's up? Since when could even thoughts in my mind activate this?"

Xu Xiaoshou was horrified. He frantically activated his "Perception," but couldn't detect anyone around him.

"Elder Sang?" He swallowed hard and tentatively called out. No one answered.

Xu Xiaoshou was going crazy. He realized that sometimes this information panel was a terrifying presence; a single line of text appearing out of nowhere could scare a person to death. He now wished he could remove the word "observation" from his dictionary and never see it again.

"Who could it be? If it’s not Elder Sang, who else has this morbid habit of secretly staring at him?" "Could it be a third assassin?" "That's not important. What's important is that someone can 'observe' him without being detected by his Perception—and currently, only someone of Elder Sang's level can do that!"

Xu Xiaoshou had turned his body halfway, not daring to twist further. He leaned on the white jade railing, slightly bent at the waist, and paced forward. "So beautiful…" "The night is so beautiful!" "The rain is beautiful too…" "So beautiful, so beautiful!"

He blurred the image in his mind, trying to expand his "Perception" range. Finally, at the end of the road, in the direction of the small grove, a shadowy figure materialized.

"So far?" Xu Xiaoshou was stunned. Now he wasn't afraid; he turned directly, wanting to get a clearer look...

A pair of dark, gleaming eyes suddenly entered his vision.

They were just a few fists apart.

"Holy crap!" Xu Xiaoshou's heart leaped into his throat, and a black sword instantly shot out from his chest.

P.S. Only one update today; I have something to attend to this afternoon. See you tomorrow.