Chapter 760: Can Your Words, Red-Clothed Ones, Be Trusted?

Room 209.

A beast's roar, a scorpion's tail.

Everyone in the private room sprang to their feet in alarm.

Xiao Wanfeng, Liu Lu, and others wondered if there were truly ghost beasts present. Mo Mo, Xin Gugu, Liu Changqing, and the others were surprised that there were other ghost beasts present besides themselves.

Xu Xiaoji, who had been sitting cross-legged chanting scriptures, was so scared that he immediately opened his eyes.

What's happening? Ghost beasts? The Great Demon King Xu hadn't mentioned this when he called him out! Wasn't it agreed that danger was just a possibility, and he just needed to come out, close his eyes, chant scriptures to avert disaster, and nothing would happen? But what in the world is this sudden ghost beast?!

The appearance of ghost beasts must be accompanied by Red Robes. And Xu Xiaoji, residing in the Yuan Mansion, had seen more than just one active ghost beast around the Great Demon King Xu. If Red Robes appeared now… if he, as the new "Young Master Xu," were captured, wouldn't it be a sure path to death? So… was the Great Demon King Xu asking him to come out this time to be a shield?

"Young Master Xu!"

At this moment, Liu Changqing, seeing Young Master Xu open his eyes, immediately became excited. He found it hard to believe Mo Mo's abilities. Clearly, the only one who could resolve the situation was Young Master Xu, a half-saint inheritor who dared to take in ghost beasts as partners.

"Young Master Xu, has your Half-Saint Enlightenment state ended?" Liu Changqing seemed very agitated, stepping forward to help Young Master Xu up. "What did you comprehend? We can't stay here; we must leave immediately!"

Xu Xiaoji turned to see the stranger, and without a moment's hesitation, closed his eyes again, chanting, "The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao; the name that can be named is not the eternal name…"

Are you kidding?! Half-Saint Enlightenment? I, Xu Xiaoji, don't even know what "Half-Saint Enlightenment" means, and you dare to treat me as your savior? If you trust me now, you might as well trust metaphysics. Believe that at this moment, a large meteorite will fall from the sky, smash through the spiritual array, and the Great Demon King Xu will emerge from it to save you!

Midway, Liu Changqing saw that Young Master Xu was ignoring him and had closed his eyes, immediately freezing in place. Continuing his enlightenment? Can this "Half-Saint Enlightenment" state be interrupted? If so, and it can be interrupted, why is he ignoring other people's questions? This question is crucial! Liu Changqing was about to go crazy.

At this moment, Mo Mo stepped forward, stopped him, and gently shook her head, gesturing not to disturb Young Master Xu's enlightenment.

At the same time, Mo Mo keenly noticed that Xin Gugu seemed to be acting strangely; he was staring blankly at the tall scorpion tail in the center of the room… After a brief thought, Mo Mo reacted.

"Do you know it?"

Xin Gugu quickly averted his gaze, pursed his lips, frowned, and said nothing more.

A scorpion tail… This reminded him of two seniors from the Xuyue Gray Palace who were on an external mission. However, a long time ago, those two, due to their excessive integrity and dissatisfaction with orders from high-ranking officials in the palace that violated the original goals of the Xuyue Gray Palace, chose to defect. They had been out of contact for too many years. Xin Gugu had only seen them when he was a child; they were also his childhood aspirations. But now, Xin Gugu was in dire straits, barely able to protect himself. How could he possibly spare the effort to verify their identity and then offer assistance?

"Probably, I don't know them…" Xin Gugu replied hesitantly.

But that sound made Mo Mo's eyebrow twitch. "Probably"… This one word likely explained a lot. Mo Mo shared the same concern. With Xu Xiaoshou gone, she couldn't lead everyone out to their deaths. Even if the scorpion-tailed ghost beast might be Xin Gugu's acquaintance, Mo Mo couldn't act rashly.

Afterward, upon seeing the Red Robes enter and several Path Cutters suppressing the area, Mo Mo's heart began to pound even more uncontrollably.

"Xu Xiaoshou, where exactly are you?" Mo Mo whispered the question in her heart. She felt she wasn't as strong as Xu Xiaoshou imagined. Even if the Gray Fog Man appeared in the current situation, all it could do was escape alone after possession. How could it possibly have the strength to lead everyone to escape together? But Xu Xiaoshou was clearly different. He was an anomaly who could create miracles and was not limited by conventional thinking! Even in such a perilous situation, Mo Mo, having witnessed Xu Xiaoshou's many abilities, still felt that perhaps if he were here, he could manage it.

So… "Where are you now, and what are you doing?"

Room 6.

"Hostage?"

The six powerful individuals, suppressing the area in a hexagonal formation, couldn't help but turn their heads when they heard Mo Qing's words. They saw a woman in a green dress and veil in the adjacent private room, bound by thick black mist chains, her clothes distorted from the constriction. Her neck was even more tightly bound. The upper half of her face, visible beneath the green veil, was visibly reddened and weakened by the constriction.

"Xiu Mingyue?" Cheng Ji stared, stunned. This woman was indeed Xiu Mingyue, the Pavilion Master of Guiyin Pavilion. But how could Xiu Mingyue, a Void Realm cultivator, be subdued so easily?

"Two ghost beasts?" Shouye also looked on in amazement. What he hadn't expected was that the explosion in Room 6 revealed two ghost beasts. Not only that, but one of these two ghost beasts was humanoid! The scorpion-tailed ghost beast was, at most, at the Path Cutter cultivation level. Everyone could see this. But this mist-formed humanoid ghost beast, capable of instantly controlling Xiu Mingyue, couldn't help but remind the Red Robes present of the Gray Fog Man born in White Cave.

"Oh my heavens!"

At this moment, a gasp of surprise rang out from outside the arena. It turned out that the private room had been silent for a while, prompting curious individuals to investigate the scene from a distance. This initial probe wouldn't have mattered, but upon seeing that even Xiu Mingyue, the Pavilion Master of Guiyin Pavilion, had been subdued, everyone despaired.

"Oh my mother… Pavilion Master Xiu, she's tied up?"

"How are we supposed to fight now!"

"Seniors of the Red Robes, can you truly guarantee our safety?"

"If it's really impossible, please let us out first. This damn place is so small; if a fight breaks out, only we innocent and wronged ones will die!"

"We beg you, seniors of the Red Robes, let us leave—"

With this last person's frantic cry, everyone seemed to realize the situation and loudly demanded to leave the scene. Xiu Mingyue's capture was no simple matter. If the head of a hegemonic force met such a fate, staying in this cursed place any longer meant everyone would surely be finished.

"Silence!"

At this moment, Shouye coldly turned his gaze, instantly silencing the noisy crowd. He turned back and looked at the ethereal black figure that had bound Xiu Mingyue but made no other move.

"What do you intend?" Shouye asked.

The black figure behind Xiu Mingyue was so illusory that ordinary people couldn't even perceive its presence. Of course, few people knew that some humanoid ghost beasts could actually communicate. As Shouye posed the question, everyone present looked on with a hint of surprise. Then, they heard the illusory black figure actually reply in a human voice: "Perhaps you won't believe it, but although we are ghost beasts, we have truly never done anything bad."

Baldy Xin chuckled mockingly, "I've heard that more than once. Not just from ghost beasts, but many people say the same before they're imprisoned or on their deathbed."

The black figure fell silent. After a long while, he seemed to sigh with a hint of helplessness: "I understand… After hiding for so long, I've actually always expected this day, but I never thought it would happen so haphazardly, by stumbling into your encirclement."

Xin was about to speak again, but Shouye stopped him with a gesture. A ghost beast is a ghost beast! There are too many things that can mislead people; one more won't make a difference. Talking more is pointless. What needed to be discussed could be freely discussed in the Red Robe prison, openly and honestly, no problem.

The immediate priority… "What do you intend?" Shouye asked again, staring at Xiu Mingyue with a serious expression.

"I understand that if you Red Robes are mobilized, you won't give up without a result…" The black figure paused, then added, "Here's what we can do: release her, and I'll go with you." As the black figure spoke, he pointed to the scorpion-tailed ghost beast.

The scorpion-tailed ghost beast, crouched on the ground, was truly terrifying. The ghostly aura swirling around it had now spread several zhang high, even overflowing from the private room. But upon hearing the black figure's words, the scorpion-tailed ghost beast, covered in scorpion armor, suddenly had its eyes turn crimson, and its aura became unstable.

"Roar—"

Another furious beast roar. This time, everyone could tell. The scorpion-tailed ghost beast was showing resistance. The distant crowd, observing with their spiritual senses, immediately erupted.

"Damn it, my eyes have been opened today!"

"Ghost beasts actually have emotions?"

"The scorpion-tailed one should be a female… a mother, right? What about the humanoid black figure? Do ghost beasts come in two types?"

"Animal forms can't speak, but humanoid forms can?"

"How miraculous! I'm touched by the ghost beasts' love; I beg the Red Robes to let them go… No, let *us* go!"

"At least, let us out first, I don't want to see ghost beasts!"

Someone else was wailing. But the crowd, suppressed by the Red Robes, clearly dared not openly proclaim, only whispering amongst themselves.

Inside the private room. The black figure's voice was very sincere. Shouye used to simply brush off similar words with a laugh and maintain a cold demeanor. But now, as the black figure uttered another similar statement, the first image that appeared in his mind was Xu Xiaoshou. And the boy's past words in White Cave, where he had scorned Shouye's understanding of ghost beasts…

"Apologies!"

After a moment of heavy silence, Shouye chose to ignore it and looked at Xiu Mingyue again: "Can you speak?"

Xiu Mingyue was so tightly bound that she couldn't utter a sound. Shouye smiled upon seeing this: "A Void Realm cultivator was subdued just like that? This makes it hard for me not to believe… you're actually working together."

As soon as he said this, even Cheng Ji was startled. He immediately turned his gaze, exclaiming in surprise, "Senior Shouye, although Pavilion Master Xiu has targeted me before, I can vouch for this…"

Shouye cut him off: "There's no need to interfere with the Red Robes' judgment using your own perceptions. I only believe what I see with my own eyes."

"Ridiculous!" The black figure also spoke, his voice now tinged with sarcasm: "I'm only holding this one person hostage; I don't know her identity, but I don't intend to harm her. And of course, I have no desire to harm anyone else present. I have only one final request…" As he spoke, his illusory face turned to look at the scorpion-tailed ghost beast again, his dim gaze filled with tenderness.

But in that brief moment of distraction, Shouye resolutely decided to act.

"If you don't intend to harm anyone, then please immediately cease your actions…"

"Nightfall!" Shouye lunged forward. At the same time, with his shout, the brightly lit auction hall was instantly enveloped by a realm of darkness, becoming pitch black.

Xin moved simultaneously. They had collaborated for many years. Xin could predict Shouye's next move almost the instant Shouye's muscles tensed. Immediately, the two split into two paths, rushing from both flanks towards the illusory black figure.

"Get lost!" The black figure now seemed genuinely enraged. At the critical moment, black chains shot out from his chest again. Even within the pitch-black, senses-blocking dark domain, he moved as if in daylight, and the black chains precisely pierced both Shouye and Xin, who had lunged forward.

"Ugh!" The two Red Robes groaned, equally shocked. Neither their techniques, spiritual energy, nor the power of their dao principles could prevent the black chains from piercing their bodies. It seemed as if these black chains had shot forth from beyond the Heavenly Dao, outside the scope of any defensive measures or hostile deterrents within the Six Realms.

With a crash, the moment the black chains entered their bodies, the dark domain instantly shattered. And Shouye and Xin were lifted high into the air, as if impaled by scorpion tails. Afterward, their faces visibly flushed, and their entire bodies began to weaken rapidly.

"What ability is this?" Shouye was astonished. These black chains actually completely severed his connection to the Heavenly Dao around him and cut off his spiritual energy. A Spirit Cultivator pierced by these black chains was like a soldier in battle, forcibly disarmed and stripped of their armor, left utterly defenseless.

At this moment, Shouye suddenly understood why Xiu Mingyue couldn't offer even the slightest resistance. Void Realm! This black figure was a veteran Void Realm cultivator! Although Xiu Mingyue was also in the Void Realm, how could she, who had only just glimpsed its threshold, fight against such a veteran Void Realm expert? The gap between two Void Realm cultivators, even with a slight difference in cultivation, was far greater than the gap between a Path Cutter and a Path Cutter who had fully experienced the Nine Deaths Thunder Tribulation. The higher one's cultivation, the more emphasis was placed on comprehension and manipulation of the Heavenly Dao. Not to mention, ghost beasts themselves were known as invincible among their peers!

The onlookers watched in horror. The two seniors of the Red Robes were instantly lifted and rendered defenseless, shocking everyone. Even more shocking was the scorpion-tailed ghost beast, which, after the black figure made its move, attempted to unleash a rampage to start a conflict but was again silenced by a shout from the black figure, daring not to act.

"Do not kill anyone!" If this sentence had come from a Red Robe, people wouldn't have found it problematic. But spoken from the mouth of a ghost beast… At that moment, the sense of absurdity that arose in the hearts of the spectators was enough to shatter their worldview!

In an instant, two Red Robes were captured. The sole remaining Hei Ming also froze in place, seemingly feeling that the situation was getting out of control.

"Stop!" At this moment, Lan Ling appeared. After taking over the spiritual array of the auction from the back, Lan Ling finally arrived at the front. But she had clearly arrived a step too late. Shouye and Xin were now in the hands of this shadowy ghost beast.

"I am Void Realm." The black figure calmly subdued the two Red Robes, yet showed no pride, continuing to speak placidly: "If I truly wished to attack, none of you present would leave alive." He said, looking at Hei Ming and Lan Ling: "And returning with the accomplishment of having captured a Void Realm ghost beast would be enough for you Red Robes to live off for a lifetime. So, as I said before, I only have one request…"

"I agree to your request!" Lan Ling suddenly spoke, "You release everyone, and I'll let the other ghost beast leave."

"Roar—" The scorpion-tailed ghost beast was enraged. She couldn't speak, but she could express everything through emotion.

At this moment, the black figure disregarded its companion's protest, directly retracted the black chain embedded in Xin's body, but did not release Shouye.

"I've shown half my sincerity; what about you?" The black figure asked earnestly, "Can I trust your word, Red Robes?"