Chapter 780: Xu Shao, Be Careful, There's an Assassin

Above the Eastern Imperial City, an even grander and more majestic ancient colossal city appeared.

Faintly visible, spatial chains seemed to be tethering a corner of the colossal city, yet it had still been summoned forth.

Such a sight was truly rare.

Instantly, the people of the Imperial City were astonished.

Everyone had thought the great battle was over.

Unexpectedly, at this very moment, the City of the Sky was also drawn into play.

"Assemble!"

Almost simultaneously, Rao Yaoyao's command echoed across the combat channels of the scattered Red and White Attire members.

Everyone understood.

With the City of the Sky appearing, nothing else could be more shocking or dire.

"Senior Shouye..."

Across the table, after gazing up in astonishment, the Red Attire members simultaneously looked towards Shouye.

There was no doubt.

The most crucial task now was for everyone to return and defend the Yunlun Mountain Range, as per Sword Immortal Rao's instructions.

This was because everyone could see that the City of the Sky's ultimate landing spot was in the north.

The Holy Divine Palace's months-long preparations were also in the north.

However, the arrival of the City of the Sky had forcefully accelerated their plans by roughly a month.

Looking back at the sudden withdrawal of personnel from the trade fair, it was clear they had been caught completely off guard.

Summoning the City of the Sky...

This was an unprecedented tactic!

Yet, it was not too late to mend the fence after the sheep had been lost.

Even if the City of the Sky had been summoned, whether it could truly land was still uncertain.

Returning to defend now could at least halt the deteriorating situation in the Yunlun Mountain Range.

Therefore, many Red Attire members instantly grasped this and sought final instructions from Shouye.

Shouye was in a difficult position.

He was quite certain that Young Master Xu in front of him was Xu Xiaoshou.

But at such a crucial moment, this mess had cropped up...

A coincidence?

"Senior,"

At this moment, Xu Xiaoshou also seemed to have recovered from his astonishment, asking blankly, "What's going on with this City of the Sky? Is the Imperial City still in danger?"

Shouye turned and stared at him for a long time.

But even if he deeply believed Xu Xiaoshou was capable of causing trouble, he didn't think this particular feat was something the boy could achieve.

So, was it truly a coincidence?

After a long pause, Shouye sighed, "The matter of Young Master Xu's judgment will be put aside for now. We will meet again later."

With that, he turned away.

"Everyone, proceed to the Yunlun Mountain Range immediately!"

With a few whooshes.

Xu Xiaoshou didn't even have time to say goodbye to the others.

The Red Attire members, in their hurried departure, vanished instantly.

"Y-y-young Master Xu, is it over?"

At this moment, Xiao Wanfeng, watching the Red Attire squad that had suddenly appeared and then vanished, spoke with a stutter.

At that moment, with the barrier gone, the two men and a square table stood conspicuously in the middle of the main road.

Pedestrians, after recovering from their initial fear of the City of the Sky's descent, were now surprised and puzzled by the pair's appearance.

"What's going on?"

"In broad daylight, setting up a table here for tea?"

"Oh! Isn't that Young Master Xu from the First Heaven Restaurant? How leisurely... The City of the Sky has appeared, and he's still in the mood for tea?"

"Hey, Young Master Xu, what about the City of the Sky? Aren't you going to get involved?"

People discussed animatedly.

Some bolder individuals, who had witnessed Young Master Xu's actions at the Pilgrimage Square and knew that this Half-Saint descendant wasn't arrogant, even joked with him on the spot.

"I don't have the power to get involved with the City of the Sky," Xu Xiaoshou said with a chuckle, waving his hand at the crowd. He then turned back to signal Xiao Wanfeng to put away the table.

Since Bajun An had orchestrated this to rescue people from peril, how could Xu Xiaoshou possibly get involved in yet another mess?

"Void Island..."

Xu Xiaoshou pondered.

The sudden appearance of the City of the Sky was too abrupt; he believed no faction was prepared.

In such circumstances, the Holy Divine Palace, which had been planning for months, was undoubtedly the biggest beneficiary.

Therefore, Xu Xiaoshou not only had no intention of participating but even wanted to stay far away.

He had received no instructions to get involved with Void Island, and the Saint Servant's task was merely to cause chaos in the Eastern Imperial City.

There was no need to wade into these troubled waters right now!

Most importantly, Xu Xiaoshou felt that even if Bajun An had summoned Void Island, he might not truly have enough time to guide the colossal city to land in the Yunlun Mountain Range.

Because Rao Yaoyao would certainly not give him that time.

So, ultimately.

The appearance of Void Island this time was merely Bajun An's way of bringing a more complete conclusion to the Imperial City incident.

And, as a bonus, to draw all members of the Holy Divine Palace, Red Attire, and White Attire back to the Yunlun Mountain Range.

If anyone truly believed that this sacred and mysterious City of the Sky had descended and wanted to intervene, they would likely be met with a counterattack from Rao Yaoyao's group after they returned to defend, leaving them completely ruined.

"Let's go!"

"Back to the First Heaven Restaurant!"

Xu Xiaoshou didn't hesitate, making an instant decision.

His people were all in the Yuan Mansion.

If Liu Changqing could escape safely, he should also return to the First Heaven Restaurant.

Only by returning to their stronghold, with the Eight Trigrams Pilgrimage Map and Mei Siran overseeing things,

Could Xu Xiaoshou truly be confident that even if Shouye returned and suspected him again, he wouldn't find a shred of evidence.

Whoosh, whoosh.

The sound of wind filled the air.

Above the Imperial City, at this moment, too many Red and White Attire members abandoned their missions and rushed northwards.

Everyone knew that the Yunlun Mountain Range was an open conspiracy.

Perhaps by the time everyone arrived there, they wouldn't even be able to find the instigator.

But it was an unavoidable situation.

The City of the Sky could not appear before the Imperial City trial.

Otherwise, this Imperial City trial in the Eastern Heavenly Realm would be ruined.

The Imperial City trial was crucial for the selection into the Holy Palace.

This meant that the Eastern Heavenly Realm would needlessly lose many excellent candidates for the Holy Palace selection.

No faction would agree to this.

The Holy Divine Palace also couldn't withstand such pressure.

Therefore, the Red and White Attire members had to prevent the City of the Sky from descending.

Above the Central District.

Shouye led a group of Red Attire members forward.

It was precisely due to concerns like these that he immediately set off to support the Yunlun Mountain Range.

But the moment he turned back.

To be honest, Shouye immediately regretted it.

Whether Young Master Xu was truly Xu Xiaoshou, strictly speaking, only Shouye himself had an 70-80% certainty in his heart.

But these were all subjective feelings.

Even if he vocalized them, they wouldn't count as evidence.

And without concrete evidence, ordinary people could be directly taken to the Red Attire Prison for interrogation, but a Half-Saint descendant could not be touched.

Therefore, Shouye knew that turning back meant missing the best opportunity to verify Xu Xiaoshou's identity.

Perhaps, this opportunity...

Was unique!

"Xu Xiaoshou is not someone who easily reveals weaknesses..."

As soon as this thought struck him, Shouye suddenly realized.

If he let Young Master Xu return to the First Heaven Restaurant, once he re-established his thoughts, Shouye might genuinely not find any clues later.

Shouye was also a ruthless individual.

As soon as this realization hit him, he truly stopped in mid-air.

"Senior?"

The Red Attire members following behind almost collided with him, each exclaiming in surprise.

"In the Yunlun Mountain Range, one more old man won't make a difference, and one less won't matter," Shouye declared firmly. "You all proceed to support immediately. I have other matters that require urgent verification."

"But Sword Immortal Rao's order was to assemble immediately..."

"No 'buts'!"

The more he was contradicted, the clearer Shouye's thoughts became.

The matter of Xu Xiaoshou could be considered small, or it could be considered significant.

He believed that even if Rao Yaoyao came over now, she wouldn't understand why he, Shouye, would make such a choice.

After all, it was clear at a glance which matter was greater and more pressing: a mere junior Saint Servant or the City of the Sky.

Yet, Shouye, who had witnessed Xu Xiaoshou's growth, knew that from the beginning of his rise until now, only a few months had passed.

His growth rate was terrifying!

During the White Cave incident, this kid could only scramble to hide and flee.

In the battle within the Eight Palaces, it wasn't even his turn to act.

But once he arrived at the Imperial City...

Xu Xiaoshou could actually brutalize Transcendants and blow up a city.

This all happened in just about a month, right?

If he continued to be indulged, once Xu Xiaoshou's power fully matured, truly no one would be able to stop him!

"You go north. I'll act alone," Shouye gave a serious command.

"No, Senior, we know you want to..."

"Execute!"

"...Yes!"

With a few swishes, the Red Attire members behind him vanished.

Within the Red Attire, superior orders were clearly not to be defied.

Shouye hovered in mid-air, perceiving the figure returning to the First Heaven Restaurant in the Central District, pondering for a long time in the void.

Then, he opened his domain, shed his red robe, and donned black attire and a mask.

"Young Master Xu?"

"Xu Xiaoshou?"

"I refuse to believe this!"

Central District.

The dark city cast a long shadow.

Now, the colossal city loomed overhead.

But apart from the initial panic, everyone began to calm down and resumed their normal lives.

Because no matter how urgent it was, there was nothing they could do.

The pressure of the colossal city looming overhead, if it were to fall, would be immense, but the Imperial City would clearly not let such a thing happen.

And the descent of the City of the Sky would also take a lot of time.

The spiritual cultivators of the Imperial City, besides waiting, none had the power to pull down the colossal city overhead.

Therefore, even though this city above the city obscured the sky, as if the heavens themselves were collapsing.

The spiritual cultivators, accustomed to unusual sights, had nothing else to do besides maintaining their daily routines.

On the street, two figures slowly moved through the bustling crowd.

Xiao Wanfeng held the teapot, continuously refilling Young Master Xu's teacup, all while chattering incessantly.

"Young Master Xu, this City of the Sky is quite mysterious. The Holy Divine Palace has been deploying defenses in the Yunlun Mountain Range for a long time, largely to prevent the City of the Sky from descending prematurely and delaying the Imperial City trial."

"As it is now, I think it's man-made."

"Someone must have seized the opportunity when Saint Servant Xu Xiaoshou blew up the city last night, taking advantage of the chaos to try and bring down the City of the Sky!"

Xu Xiaoshou did not reply.

He held his teacup, lost in deep thought, his mind clearly not on the same wavelength as Xiao Wanfeng's.

Shouye had left.

But why did he still feel a faint sense of unease?

A crisis?

"Young Master Xu?"

Xiao Wanfeng, seeing Young Master Xu silent and deep in thought, assumed his own deductions had prompted this, and immediately continued:

"Young Master Xu, I believe that while the City of the Sky is legendary for its 'Path to Sainthood Foundation,' the Holy Divine Palace's extensive defensive measures clearly suggest an intent to repel and ward off others."

"In other words, if the 'Path to Sainthood Foundation' was truly capable of granting sainthood, such a great selling point, the City of the Sky should be widely open. Why the secrecy?"

"I think there's a trap here!"

"But it is 'Path to Sainthood Foundation' after all... Young Master Xu, are you really not going to get involved?"

Xiao Wanfeng instinctively wanted to nudge Xu Xiaoshou's elbow but didn't dare.

Xu Xiaoshou, meanwhile, frowned.

Xiao Wanfeng's words grew more distant in his ears.

The pedestrians on the street also became increasingly blurry in his sight.

The feeling of unease in his heart also grew stronger.

"Something's wrong!"

Xu Xiaoshou wasn't stupid.

The 'flash of insight' function of his "Perception" ability had saved his life many times.

In this world of spiritual cultivation, metaphysics was something to be believed in.

But for a moment, he couldn't pinpoint the source of the crisis, making Xu Xiaoshou somewhat flustered.

"Right, I'm a Grandmaster now!"

A thought flashed in his mind, and Xu Xiaoshou's heart settled.

He looked at his information panel.

"Passive Points: 1,769,455."

He had originally intended to save these remaining passive points, over a million, until he was stable and back at the First Heaven Restaurant, then directly upgrade a wave of passive abilities.

Afterward, he planned to use the strength of "Half-Saint Descendant Xu Deyan" after this powerful breakthrough, in contrast with "Saint Servant Xu Xiaoshou," who was already a Grandmaster, to create an even stronger distinction and completely separate their identities.

But at this moment, the crisis in his heart made Xu Xiaoshou feel he couldn't wait any longer.

"Perception!"

"Upgrade Perception first!"

Xu Xiaoshou didn't hesitate, spending 100,000 passive points to directly upgrade his "Perception" passive ability.

He had to know where this immediate danger was coming from.

"Perception (Grandmaster Lv.1)."

"Perception (King Lv.1)."

The passive ability's level instantly increased by ten ranks, reaching the King tier.

This was completely different from the more subtle and restrained effect of "Concealment" after reaching the King tier.

King-level "Perception" almost magnified the scenes Xu Xiaoshou could observe in his mind's eye tenfold on the spot.

Grandmaster Lv.1 "Perception" had a detection range of ten miles.

Upgrading "Perception" within the Grandmaster tier increased the detection range by one mile each time.

But upon reaching the King tier, a qualitative leap occurred!

At that moment, Xu Xiaoshou even felt like the world had shrunk.

His "Perception" detection range directly expanded to a hundred miles!

At this moment, Xu Xiaoshou suddenly understood.

Why, at the King tier, things happening in the eastern city could be instantly detected by Kings in the western city, tens of miles away.

And Dao Cutting experts could survey the entire city.

Because of "Dao"!

Yes, King-level "Perception" not only brought Xu Xiaoshou a range increase.

Even the elements and Dao principles between heaven and earth were clearly presented directly to the subject of "Perception."

This was too powerful!

And not only that.

The source of the previously undetected unease, after "Perception" reached the King tier, Xu Xiaoshou could now clearly see.

From the north, a hidden black figure, concealed within the spatial Dao principles and unknown to others, was holding a sword and striking towards him at light speed.

"Attacked, Passive Points: 1."

At this moment, Xiao Wanfeng, standing beside him, inexplicably turned towards the direction from which the invisible black figure was attacking. He saw nothing with his naked eye, but the hairs on his entire body stood on end.

"Young Master Xu, be careful, there's an assassin!"

An alarmed cry rose.

He gave a push.

With a thud, Xiao Wanfeng felt a tremendous force strike his hand.

He couldn't push Young Master Xu, but was instead flung back, and as if he had pushed a hedgehog, his hands were covered in blood from the shock.

Xiao Wanfeng was stunned.

Xu Xiaoshou, on the other side, couldn't care less about that.

His first thought was to wonder who the assassin was.

But the familiar power of the attacker... and the extremely sharp mental reactions that came with reaching the "King" tier.

Caused Xu Xiaoshou to make a judgment in an instant.

"It's Shouye, who left and returned, using the guise of an assassin, intending to pierce my body to feel Xu Xiaoshou's power and verify my identity..."

"Buzz—"

The Hidden Misery ring on his finger trembled, about to fly out and protect its master.

"Mama..."

Ah Jie, on his chest, let out a low groan, about to transform and punch out.

But Xu Xiaoshou quickly stopped all of it.

Shouye wasn't here to kill him.

He was here for a final verification.

If any of these Xu Xiaoshou-related items appeared, he, Xu Deyan, would be utterly unable to clear his name!

Teleportation couldn't be used.

His iconic disappearance technique was even more out of the question.

Just as Xu Xiaoshou gritted his teeth, intending to forcibly activate his King-tier physique and use the "Sacred Body's" defense to withstand the blow.

"Clang—"

A figure suddenly descended from the sky.

With two fingers, the figure clamped down on Shouye's Dao Cutting dark sword.