Chapter 774: Tonight in the Royal City, Let a Grand Fireworks Display Serve as the Final Baptism

A breakthrough gone wrong. In fact, it wasn't just Situ Yongren who realized this. Almost everyone, both inside and outside the arena, came to this conclusion after witnessing Xu Xiaoshou's reaction to breaking through to the Master stage.

After all, Masters typically cannot control their spiritual aura immediately after a breakthrough. Even more so, Xu Xiaoshou's state was one of 'returning to simplicity,' as if all his spiritual aura had been forcibly stripped away. Achieving such a state suggested that Xu Xiaoshou hadn't truly returned to simplicity, but rather experienced the 'return' without the 'purity' and 'truth'—a setback instead of an advanced state.

The scruffy uncle instantly appeared beside Xu Xiaoshou, asking gravely, "Did something go wrong with your breakthrough?" He asked via spiritual transmission.

Xu Xiaoshou, upon hearing this, was somewhat confused. What did he mean? But in an instant, he understood. This breakthrough to the Master stage created the illusion of a forced advancement, mainly because the passive system had absorbed his spiritual aura and one million points. Combined with his previous reactions to the 'price surge,' it led outsiders to a mistaken understanding.

Xu Xiaoshou immediately wanted to reply, "No problem," to ease the concerns of the uncle, the storyteller, and others. But then he had a change of heart. He was currently using the identity of Xu Xiaoshou. There was also a Young Master Xu at the trade fair. The trial in Dongtian Royal City could not be entered with Master-level cultivation. Elder Sang's request, Ba Zun'an's mission... And so on, and so forth! So many factors!

Could he, in this chaotic situation, forge a new path at the very end, creating an unexpected escape route unseen by the grand strategists? Perhaps, this was the way. So Xu Xiaoshou's expression tightened, then returned to indifference, as he uttered what he had initially intended to say. It was very quiet. He spoke to the scruffy uncle in a hushed tone. Yet, everyone present was sure to hear it.

"Don't worry, my breakthrough was natural and without any complications!"

The various powerful figures suddenly fell silent. At this moment, some had even begun using spiritual transmission to intercept Xu Xiaoshou's reply. They knew what question the scruffy uncle would ask. But no one expected Xu Xiaoshou to respond with such frankness, as if afraid of not being heard, or perhaps with a double meaning of "I know you're trying to intercept my transmission, so I'm saying it for all of you to hear." He stated, "His breakthrough had no complications."

At that moment...

"Suspicion received, Passive Points, 9999."

The information panel popped up abruptly, startling Xu Xiaoshou. As expected, these points likely came from all the spirit refiners within the Royal City who were watching the battle, not solely from the Red Guards or White Guards! And this wave... This wave was incredibly profitable! Xu Xiaoshou felt a slight comfort in his heart. This was precisely the effect he wanted... How could these people possibly guess the true intentions of your Lord Xu? If they could guess, then Xu Xiaoshou might as well change his name to Zhou Tianshen!

"No, truly no accident." Facing another round of questioning glances from the uncle, Xu Xiaoshou seemed to have become more vigilant this time, responding with a spiritual transmission, his tone slightly bitter. Whether the bitterness was due to the breakthrough itself or the uncle's disbelief, that was open to interpretation. However, as soon as this sentence appeared, the information panel flickered again.

"Suspicion received, Passive Points, 423."

"Well, I'll be!" Xu Xiaoshou immediately exclaimed 'Well, I'll be!' in his mind. Although he had just become a Master, and his cultivation was still weak, weren't people being a bit too disrespectful? After all, he was Xu Xiaoshou of the Holy Slaves! There were over four hundred overt interceptors of spiritual transmissions?

At this point, the uncle noticed that the Nine Dragons Ancestor-Burning Holy Statue behind Xu Xiaoshou was showing signs of decay after a series of battles, and immediately said, "Xu Xiaoshou, step back and consolidate your realm. I'll handle the rest."

Xu Xiaoshou felt touched. How wonderful! Indeed, to live happily in this world, one truly needed a strong backing, didn't they? He didn't try to be brave. A Master against a Sword Immortal. Frankly, the difference wasn't much greater than that of a Xiantian facing a Sword Immortal. These were all ants in Rao Yaoyao's eyes; at most, after breaking through, they were slightly sturdier ants. But it would only take one more sword strike!

Though even now, Xu Xiaoshou still didn't understand how Rao Yaoyao could bypass the Holy Statue and strike him with her Red Dust Sword without suffering a backlash from its holy power. But currently, his main desire was to move himself, post-breakthrough, to the rear of the battle. Because the fundamental reason he had caused such a stir tonight wasn't to fight or to earn passive points. It was to help the people of the First Heavenly Tower escape the trade fair smoothly. A legitimate escape!

"Go, Uncle! Take down that Sword Immortal, and you'll be the new Sword Immortal! I think you can do it." Xu Xiaoshou encouraged him, then retreated.

The uncle chuckled. At this moment, everyone's attention finally shifted from Xu Xiaoshou's escape from the Red Dust Sword and his breakthrough to the Master stage, back to the scene that had preceded it.

"Grand Buddha Slash..." A spectator whispered in their mind. As the spotlight returned to the uncle and Rao Yaoyao, a posture of equal adversaries emerged, and a phantom figure appeared in everyone's minds. It was a figure whose true face they had never seen, but whose image had long been fleshed out in their minds through countless myths and legends. And at this very moment, this mythical figure in everyone's hearts leaped forth, perfectly overlapping with the silhouette of the scruffy uncle carrying a sack on the horizon. Though his scruffy appearance was quite an eyesore... But that 'Grand Buddha Slash' seemed to have already announced something to everyone.

"Ba Zun'an?" Rao Yaoyao paused for a long time; she genuinely didn't want to make things difficult for the junior, so she only hesitated before speaking to the scruffy uncle. Previously, she had been able to monitor the battle in the Central District. But the uncle hadn't used any particularly distinctive techniques. At most, his attire might be that of an imitator of Ba Zun'an.

However, that 'Grand Buddha Slash' involved Illusion Sword Art and Mind Sword Art. Among the tens of thousands of Ba Zun'an imitators, only a handful could truly *master*—yes, *master*, not just *be familiar with*—these two great sword arts, concretize them into sword moves, and then unleash the 'Grand Buddha Slash.' No more than... a mere handful!

Rao Yaoyao said this, addressing everyone across the entire Holy Divine Continent! Thus, when even Rao Yaoyao, one of the Seven Sword Immortals, asked such a question, all the spirit refiners and sword cultivators in the Royal City instantly erupted in excitement.

"Ba Zun'an?"

"Heavens! It really is him!"

"I knew it! The moment this guy appeared and took to the sky, I felt his appearance was so peculiar, it had to be him!"

"Hmph, didn't you just say this person was impersonating Ba Zun'an, all form and no spirit? And carrying that cheap-looking sack? Now that even the Sword Immortal suspects, and the Grand Buddha Slash is out, you change your tune?"

"Just now? What 'just now'? I was sleeping!"

Indeed. By the end of tonight's battle, the innocent people who had been hiding no longer bothered to feign sleep; they emerged onto the streets, watching through the night. After all, Throne battles were already rare. And battles involving the Grand Void, within this usually peaceful Dongtian Royal City, were even more unheard of. The most terrifying thing was that tonight's battle was essentially a Xiantian, backed by a Holy Statue, dominating a Grand Void expert...

—A sight rarely seen in a hundred years!

"What's in a name, anyway?" In the void, facing Rao Yaoyao's query, the uncle chose an ambiguous answer. He spoke with a faint smile, spreading his hands, and everyone felt that there was no need to hear a name; just seeing this gesture, the legend had been confirmed by reality.

Rao Yaoyao gazed intently, her eyes still filled with surprise and doubt. If this truly was Ba Zun'an, and he intended to unleash his full power for a great battle against her... She couldn't withstand it! Rao Yaoyao knew she would struggle to withstand it, but Ba Zun'an would certainly not have an easy time either. According to intelligence, he was currently heavily injured, and facing the Profound Azure Divine Sword again would undoubtedly lead to his death.

But what if this wasn't Ba Zun'an...? Back in the White Cave, Gou Wuyue had led the White Guards there and personally witnessed Ba Zun'an's reappearance. The battle scenes within the Eight Palaces had also been transmitted in real-time to the Holy Divine Temple headquarters via Heavenly Machine Art. However, they hadn't personally experienced the aura of Ba Zun'an, who had re-emerged after decades. The only one who had seen the real Ba Zun'an, besides Gou Wuyue, was now dead. It was cruel, and it was realistic. But currently, Rao Yaoyao truly couldn't discern if the person opposite her was authentic.

"Alright, let's assume you are Ba Zun'an for now..." Rao Yaoyao spoke, her beautiful eyes narrowing, about to probe him along that line of thought. But suddenly, her ear twitched, her expression changed dramatically, and she demanded in a chilling voice, "You are not Ba Zun'an! Why are you siding with the Holy Slaves? Aren't you afraid your forces will be pursued by the White Guards?!"

The certainty in her voice was so strong that even Xu Xiaoshou, gathering strength in the rear, heard her conviction. Someone must have transmitted information to Rao Yaoyao at that moment, solidifying her thoughts. But who could it be? Xu Xiaoshou was puzzled. Indeed, everyone who had seen the real Ba Zun'an in the Eight Palaces had died. Gou Wuyue wasn't leading a team this time; his whereabouts were unknown. Moreover, a Sword Immortal wouldn't transmit secretly; they would stand out openly. So the communicator wouldn't be him.

Then who would dare be so certain that this scruffy uncle—this fake Ba Zun'an, whose identity even Xu Xiaoshou could only confirm through the 'Sword-Gazing Manual' he had received—was an imposter? Xu Xiaoshou looked up at the sky, a little bewildered. Although his Holy Statue's power was rapidly depleting, it still remained for now. His holy consciousness was strong. The entire upheaval in Dongtian Royal City, with all its variables, was under his control. Yet, his desperate search yielded no results.

Faintly, Xu Xiaoshou sensed that there was still one last person in this battle who hadn't appeared. That person had been observing the entire Royal City battle from the shadows, recording, planning, and brewing something. He was like the true puppeteer behind the scenes, invisible to the pawns.

Xu Xiaoshou suddenly recalled the increasingly heavy downpour from earlier. A sudden, unprovoked downpour in the Royal City easily made the overly suspicious Xu Xiaoshou think of Yu Lingdi, the Chief of the Spirit Division. But the problem was, Yu Lingdi had already been killed by Elder Sang. Even Gou Wuyue had reacted with such helplessness at that time; Yu Lingdi couldn't possibly have survived. So this rain, at most, was the Grand Void affecting the Heavenly Dao, and emotions swaying the rules. The falling rain was the heavens weeping, weeping for the innocent. Beyond that, Xu Xiaoshou truly couldn't think of anyone else who could influence Rao Yaoyao's thoughts and make her so absolutely certain that the scruffy uncle was not Ba Zun'an!

The clouds dispersed, and the rain ceased. The weather was now clear, and the sky was faintly bright. The heavy rain had long been swept away by the holy power fluctuations and the Embers of White Flame after Xu Xiaoshou's Dragon Fusion Realm erupted. Xu Xiaoshou gazed at the sky, thinking, and then he realized he couldn't afford to think anymore. If the uncle and Rao Yaoyao truly started fighting, it would be a full-scale melee between the black and white factions. And by then, if he still couldn't rescue the people from the First Heavenly Tower, it would truly be too late.

So Xu Xiaoshou cast aside distractions and continued with what outsiders perceived as consolidating his unstable realm. Contrary to what others believed, Xu Xiaoshou felt that his entry into the Master stage required a grand ceremony. This ceremony would consume the Holy Statue's last remnants of power, bringing an end to the machinations of the various powerful figures in Dongtian Royal City. And, incidentally, it would rescue the First Heavenly Tower from the brink of collapse.

He drew upon his Sea of Origin Energy, his hands hovering in the air. Xu Xiaoshou stood suspended in mid-air. After the standoff between the uncle and Rao Yaoyao, under the effect of 'Concealment,' and with the passive system having consumed his spiritual aura so that his internal energy could no longer be detected by others' spiritual senses, he began to frantically compress his spiritual essence... The powers of the Embers of Origin and the Three-Day Frozen Tribulation were invoked... The Holy Statue's power was being extracted; it appeared to be self-depleting, but it was actually due to Xu Xiaoshou's sudden, frenzied actions... His body began to spasm. His cells began to tremble. Until the destructive aura within him, which had suddenly transmuted after being infused with holy power, became somewhat uncontrollable, and faint wisps of Dao Annihilation power began to seep from his pores.

"Hmm?" The uncle and Rao Yaoyao, currently clashing, were suddenly alarmed. At the same time, the storyteller turned back in surprise, looking at Xu Xiaoshou: "What's going on?" Mei Siren was far down the street, hidden within the Heavenly Dao. Rao Yaoyao had long since detected him, but his inaction signified neutrality, so no one bothered him. Now, he too was startled by the aura emanating from Xu Xiaoshou. "This is..."

Yu Zhiwen was at the very rear of the battlefield, her gaze never leaving Xu Xiaoshou. The moment this destructive power appeared, she instantly recalled all the classic scenes involving Xu Xiaoshou from the White Cave: The earth-shattering explosion when the Fiery Serpent emerged... The earth-shattering explosion after the spiritual molten marsh's ice and fire intertwined... The earth-shattering explosion when the storyteller's world collapsed on the Sword Departure Plains... And finally, the great White Cave explosion!

How could this current sensation be so familiar? Realizing something, Yu Zhiwen's starry eyes suddenly widened, and she stared blankly at the rapidly depleting, almost completely drained Holy Statue on Xu Xiaoshou's body. She suddenly realized what this guy was about to do next... A Holy Explosion level!

"Run—" Yu Zhiwen immediately shouted. Ignite the holy power, setting the entire Royal City ablaze? No sane person would do such a thing. But if his name was Xu Xiaoshou, it was highly probable. With this move, Xu Xiaoshou intended to force the Red Guards and White Guards to exhaust themselves simply dealing with the ensuing world-shattering explosion. This explosion, perhaps, wasn't originally aimed at innocent people. But if the Holy Divine Temple mishandled it, Xu Xiaoshou would truly become a menace to the world!

Something felt wrong... As she thought this, Yu Zhiwen even felt her mind knotting up. How could whether Xu Xiaoshou was a menace depend on the Holy Divine Temple's actions to judge? And yet, to prevent Xu Xiaoshou from truly harming innocent people, it seemed the Holy Divine Temple had no choice but to brace for this Holy Explosion-level blast?

—This was very Xu Xiaoshou!

Almost simultaneously with Yu Zhiwen shouting that warning to Rao Yaoyao, all the White Guards and Red Guards realized something was amiss. Everyone suddenly rushed in from all directions. And at this moment, Xu Xiaoshou also raised his eyes in alarm. On each of his ten fingers, ten dark, high-pressure energy points appeared, rapidly vibrating and capable of easily tearing through space. These energy points contained holy power.

The Holy Ten Fingerprint Seed Technique!

"Uncle, stop Rao Yaoyao." Xu Xiaoshou said to the scruffy uncle, who had also turned with a look of alarm, preventing the latter from attempting to flee first. Then he ignored all the Red Guards and White Guards rushing towards him, casting his gaze down upon the entire Dongtian Royal City, which was enveloped in his holy consciousness.

Since the Holy Divine Temple was relentlessly pursuing me, Xu Xiaoshou, as someone from a dark faction. Since I, Xu Xiaoshou, already use 'Holy Slave,' the name of this dark faction, as my prefix. Then tonight, I shall be a thorough villain, a truly ruthless demon!

This explosion. Dedicated to those who truly need protection. Dedicated to this world where the concepts of black and white have already blurred. And especially dedicated to the true masterminds, those unseen puppeteers who always turn clouds into rain with a flick of their hands!

Xu Xiaoshou, appearing utterly frenzied, drained the Holy Statue of its last vestiges of power. He applied the Holy Statue's absolute suppressive power over all beneath it to its utmost limit. Then he raised his hand, releasing the ten 'Ice-Fire Holy Seeds' gathered at his fingertips into the air. Ten black lines shot forth, like a painter's casual brushstroke, yet they embellished the sky with the most beautiful flourish.

At that moment. Dawn was breaking. The morning sun was just rising. Previously, in the night, the White Flame, symbolizing light, had been fiercely battling. Now that day had arrived, it was the pitch-black Ice-Fire Holy Seeds that were guiding the light. The Ice-Fire Holy Seeds, first exploding high in the sky and transforming into countless black raindrops falling through the air like scattering hail, were elegantly captivating.

Time itself seemed to slow down. At this moment, Xu Xiaoshou, witnessing these black raindrops adorning the sky, felt like a jester from another world. The difference was, he didn't have the jester's pathology. Yet this so-called 'other world' desperately needed healing!

"Tonight, let the Royal City have a grand fireworks display as its final baptism." Xu Xiaoshou smiled at the many Red Guards and White Guards who rushed in and then dispersed. He spread his hands, and then, with a pop, his figure completely vanished into the void, leaving only his lingering words.

"Washing away all pretense, shedding all dust!"