Chapter 797: Youthful Ambition Wanders Far, Half-Saint Imprisons Himself in a Corner

The First Tower, Training Room.

“Swordsman Rao retreated so quickly?” Xu Xiaoshou asked curiously as he poured tea for Mr. Si Ren at the tea table.

It was late at night. But this time, it wasn't him disturbing Mr. Si Ren’s rest. Instead, Mei Si Ren had come to him immediately after his late-night talk with Rao Yaoyao.

“You could hear us talking?” Mr. Si Ren asked in surprise.

“Yes,” Xu Xiaoshou nodded.

Seeing that the young man in front of him had no intention of explaining further, the old Swordsman didn’t press. He simply assumed it was some special means of which he couldn’t speak, and replied: “I have already touched the threshold of the Saint Path. Rao Yaoyao couldn’t investigate deeply. Besides, under the interference of Saint power, she probably couldn’t even muster the desire to pursue it.”

Saint power could interfere with people’s thoughts? Xu Xiaoshou seemed to understand, recalling how he had been blocked by the Heavenly Path in White Cave and couldn't find the Yu Ling Drop. Even a Yu Ling Drop perfected in the Dao realm could do something like that to him. It didn't seem far-fetched that Mei Si Ren, who had touched the threshold of the Saint Path, could subtly influence Rao Yaoyao’s thoughts and force her retreat in a non-combat situation.

“Among the Seven Swordsmen, who else has touched the Saint Path?” Xu Xiaoshou pressed.

Mr. Si Ren fanned himself, glancing sideways as he counted: “You Tu, Feng Tingchen, and myself… all count. But we’re all from the older generation, so this achievement is nothing special.” He paused, somewhat wistfully: “As for the younger generation, Swordsman Hua has already reached Semi-Saint. Wen Ting is just a step away, and the other two still have some distance to go.”

Xu Xiaoshou raised an eyebrow. He had heard the rumors before but couldn’t confirm them. However, Swordsman Hua having reached Semi-Saint, coming from Mr. Si Ren’s mouth, made it absolute. Rumor had it that there was also a Dao Hall Master on Guizhe Holy Mountain whose Saint name could not be directly spoken. Adding that, it meant two Semi-Saints. Terrifying! Even more terrifying was that the ‘Semi-Saint’ realm, almost unreachable for ordinary people, seemed to be just a matter of time for the Seven Swordsmen? No wonder the title “Seven Swordsmen” held such revered status on the continent. This was equivalent to seven confirmed Semi-Saints!

At that moment, Xu Xiaoshou remembered Ai Cang Sheng, whom he had seen from afar sitting in a wheelchair in the Eight Palaces. He hesitated, then asked: “That disabled person on Guizhe Holy Mountain, holding a bow and arrow…”

Mr. Si Ren took a moment to process, then chuckled: “He’s also a Semi-Saint.”

“Hiss,” Xu Xiaoshou gasped. He hadn't been sure before, but now it was confirmed. Guizhe Holy Mountain openly harbored three Semi-Saints? No wonder it was the continent’s top power!

“The way you put it…” Mr. Si Ren shook his head, speechless at Xu Xiaoshou’s description of the ‘disabled person holding a bow and arrow’.

“One shouldn’t call out Saint names directly,” Xu Xiaoshou chuckled. But soon, his smile vanished. He remembered in the Taixu Illusion, he had directly told Elder Sang that once he ascended to the Throne, he would dare to climb Guizhe Holy Mountain. Thinking about it now, the difficulty was comparable to reaching the heavens. Xu Xiaoshou clicked his tongue, unwilling to let go of this walking history book in front of him. He continued to ask: “Then, in this current era, who else has touched the threshold of the Saint Path, or rather, has already stepped into the Semi-Saint realm?”

“Who else…” Mr. Si Ren’s mouth twitched. He nearly slammed his folding fan down and said with ill humor: “The various reclusive Semi-Saint powers in the Five Regions, inherited from ancient times, who do not interfere in worldly affairs and are countless… The ghost beast hosts from Void Island containing Saint power, and those who have emerged and are scattered across the continent… Plus the current major peak powers, and those participating in the struggle for continental dominance… Do you want this old man to count them out one by one and list them for you?” Mr. Si Ren’s brows furrowed, and his expression turned displeased.

“Uh!” Xu Xiaoshou’s scalp tingled for a moment. It was fine without counting, but now that Mr. Si Ren mentioned it, he felt like he had indeed fallen for Elder Sang’s facade. There was always a greater power! It felt like there were quite a few Semi-Saints?

“Not many,” Mr. Si Ren knew what he was thinking and sighed: “Those I listed don’t truly count. At least for some reason, they cannot display Saint power on the continent; otherwise, they would face Saint Tribulation punishment, with extremely severe consequences.”

Xu Xiaoshou felt he had hit a blind spot: “What reason?”

Mr. Si Ren shook his head, remaining silent.

“Oh.” Xu Xiaoshou was disappointed. Another unspeakable secret? Annoying… “What are the consequences? Will they die?” he asked again, thinking this at least could be explained.

Mr. Si Ren shook his head: “They won’t die, but the price is terrible. It’s even possible to fall out of the Saint realm. Under the power of rules, achieving sainthood is equivalent to…” He suddenly stopped speaking.

“Equivalent to what?” Xu Xiaoshou’s heart itched as the old Swordsman kept him in suspense.

Mr. Si Ren sighed: “Youthful vigor roams the four directions, but a Semi-Saint self-imprisons in a corner. Figure it out yourself!”

What did that mean? Xu Xiaoshou almost couldn’t untangle the convoluted statement. He understood the first half: youthful, spirited, traveling widely—that wasn’t hard to grasp. But the second half… A Semi-Saint self-imprisons in a corner? That was a bit chilling to think about! Could it be that after achieving Semi-Sainthood, one couldn’t walk openly on the continent like a young person anymore?

“Have you ever seen a Semi-Saint?” Mr. Si Ren asked with a smile.

“No…” Xu Xiaoshou instinctively shook his head, then his pupils contracted as he realized something. “Not really? Is it what I think?” he asked, mouth agape and somewhat shocked.

Mr. Si Ren explained playfully: “A Semi-Saint battle could potentially destroy this world. So, they can’t act recklessly.”

*I’m not a child anymore, am I?* Xu Xiaoshou screamed in his heart. If it were before, he might have found Mr. Si Ren’s explanation reasonable. But now, he only believed that these so-called rules and restrictions were mere illusions. The continent also explicitly forbade Throne-level experts from making moves; if they truly wanted to fight, they had to do so in aerial combat or within a spatial domain. But after truly experiencing the Royal City night battle, Xu Xiaoshou understood. When desperate, who cared about spatial domains or not? Killing the enemy in the shortest time was the most effective method, regardless of environmental damage. Yet the continent still had these strange restrictions… Xu Xiaoshou thought that even the Throne-level experts had these restrictions, and those at the Dao Slashing and Taixu realms had even greater ones. So, a Semi-Saint’s self-imprisonment, following that line of thought, also seemed understandable?

“Something’s not right.” Xu Xiaoshou felt that if he thought about it more deeply, he should be able to grasp something. But he always felt like he was just short of it. Just that little bit, yet he felt a final barrier between himself and the truth. And he couldn't figure out where or what this barrier was.

“Don’t bother thinking about it,” Mr. Si Ren said, picking up his teacup, smiling and shaking his head, then taking a sip. “You’re only a Grandmaster; even a Throne-level expert can interfere with your thoughts. Do you really think you can figure out the full picture?” Xu Xiaoshou felt a chill down his spine. But after the initial fright, he couldn’t pinpoint what great horror he had just perceived. He could only reluctantly let it go.

“Mr. Si Ren, what I want to ask is, apart from those who cannot act, are there many in the Five Regions who can truly be considered to have touched the Saint Path, or are Semi-Saints?” Xu Xiaoshou raised an eyebrow.

Mr. Si Ren saw through the young man’s underlying meaning with a single sentence: “You want to know about the enemies you might face in the future, don’t you?”

“Hehe…” Xu Xiaoshou scratched his head, looking a little embarrassed. The “you” Mr. Si Ren referred to naturally included not just Xu Xiaoshou, but also the Saint Slaves. Clearly, after knowing Xu Xiaoshou’s stance, the old Swordsman understood what he truly wanted to ask.

“Actually, you already have the answer. Basically, it’s just those you already know…” Mr. Si Ren said, putting down his teacup and gently tapping the rim with his finger, a touch of melancholy in his voice: “Eight or nine out of ten Semi-Saints in the world are within the Holy Divine Palace and the Holy Palace. The remaining one or two are scattered outside, but they are generally under surveillance, making it impossible for them to act.”

Xu Xiaoshou fell silent upon hearing this. By now, he understood that the Holy Divine Palace and the Holy Palace were, in fact, the only two openly recognized powers on the continent with equivalent status. However, the former was the continent’s leading power, primarily focused on combat and world governance. The latter was a Semi-Saint training base, largely oblivious to worldly affairs apart from cultivation—a pure academy. Perhaps there weren't as few Semi-Saints on the continent as widely rumored. Or rather, the public couldn't even ascertain if there truly were Semi-Saints on the continent. But for the vast majority… it should be said that for almost all ordinary people, the Semi-Saint level was largely beyond their reach. So the legend that Semi-Saints were the world’s top combatants, unseen like deities, was actually false. Yet, in a certain sense, it could also be true. Xu Xiaoshou was different. He felt trapped, having fallen into the Saint Slave pit, and might have to directly face Semi-Saint level opponents in the future. However, even Mr. Si Ren seemed reluctant to elaborate further.

At this, Mr. Si Ren chuckled. “Don’t worry so much. You’re just a junior Grandmaster. How can you think so far ahead? Your brain…tsk, tsk.”

Xu Xiaoshou also laughed. He thought, *Yes, that’s right!* He had gotten carried away again. How could a Semi-Saint possibly act against him? Even Swordsman Rao coming to the First Tower wasn’t to find him, but simply to visit Mr. Si Ren, another of the Seven Swordsmen. He was fretting needlessly, like a eunuch more anxious than the emperor himself. Such considerations were probably for Eight Revered An to worry about. Elder Sang was right: as a chess piece, one should simply fulfill their role. Why bother with the worries of the player, presuming too much?

At that moment, a flash of insight struck Xu Xiaoshou. He felt he had once again caught a blind spot. He looked up at the old man: “Mr. Si Ren, when did you master Saint power?”

Mr. Si Ren gazed at the young man, a smile suddenly blossoming on his face. He found this kid, who could switch between two identities during the Royal City night battle, very interesting and sharp-witted. In just a few words, he had already probed something.

Xu Xiaoshou also chuckled, speaking softly: “Mr. Si Ren must be a genius! Otherwise, how would you have earned the title of one of the Seven Swordsmen? And among the younger generation of the Seven Swordsmen, some have already become Semi-Saints…”

“Stop,” Mr. Si Ren held up a hand, clearly not wanting to discuss this further, only shaking his head with a resigned smile.

Xu Xiaoshou immediately fell silent. He looked at Mr. Si Ren’s gentle, refreshing smile. For some reason, he saw the great horror hidden behind that smile.

After a long pause, Xu Xiaoshou asked: “On this continent, apart from the Holy Divine Palace and the Holy Palace, is there anyone who ‘dares’ to break through and achieve Semi-Sainthood?”

Mr. Si Ren’s eyes flickered slightly, and he chided with a smile: “Put away your little cleverness. What is there to ‘dare’ or ‘not dare’?”

“Well, is there?”

“Yes.”

“Who?” Xu Xiaoshou leaned forward slightly.

Mr. Si Ren burst into laughter: “The boldest person on this great continent—You Tu!”

Xu Xiaoshou was startled. The boldest person on this continent? What kind of description was that? You Tu… Xu Xiaoshou knew of him. When the Seven Swordsmen were first listed, there was no ranking of strength; only seven individuals were named. At that time, all seven Swordsmen were merely at the Taixu cultivation level, with none being Semi-Saints. Yet there was one person, Elder You Tu, who had always been revered by the world as the head of the Seven Swordsmen, seemingly without concrete reason. Xu Xiaoshou thought carefully. He truly seemed to not know of anyone, apart from those in the Holy Divine Palace, the Holy Palace, and certain ghost beasts, who had achieved the Semi-Saint realm by their own means. Not even the Eighth Swordsman! Only this one, mentioned by Mr. Si Ren…

“You Tu?” Xu Xiaoshou muttered distractedly, then quickly clamped his mouth shut upon realizing. He realized that if the person had already achieved Semi-Sainthood, he was directly calling out a Saint name, which was highly disrespectful! He might be noticed, and he might die!

“It’s fine; everyone calls him that. He doesn’t mind,” Mr. Si Ren waved his hand, signaling it was nothing.

Xu Xiaoshou suddenly understood, recalling that whenever people mentioned You Tu, the Seven Swordsman, they always called him by his name, and nothing ever happened. That’s why he had subconsciously believed You Tu was still just a Swordsman. “So, he’s already a Sword Saint…”

“He has been for a long time,” Mr. Si Ren said, his eyes filled with admiration when speaking of You Tu.

Xu Xiaoshou observed all this, and the old man’s earlier remark, “the boldest person on this continent,” suddenly came to mind. So he asked aloud: “Therefore, is the legend about Elder You Tu true or false?” Legend had it that You Tu decapitated the former Hall Master of the Holy Divine Palace with seven swords, forcing Dao Qiongcang to ascend to power in a hurry. During his time at Tian Sang Spirit Palace, the previous Xu Xiaoshou had learned the “White Cloud Sword Art” for three years, which was derived from You Tu’s “Heavenly Seven Swords,” merely an ultra-simplified spiritual skill version after dozens of reductions in complexity. Previously, Xu Xiaoshou had simply listened to this legend casually, paying it no mind. Now he realized how much exaggeration was involved. Even if You Tu was a Semi-Saint then, there should have been more than one Semi-Saint on Guizhe Holy Mountain, right? Furthermore, the previous Hall Master of the Holy Divine Palace wouldn’t have been… so weak that… Seven swords! Ended without even a chance to parry?!

At this, Mr. Si Ren smiled: “It’s true.”

Xu Xiaoshou’s thoughts abruptly cut off. He stared, dumbfounded: “Huh?”

Mr. Si Ren took another sip of tea and, in the tone of a bard, recounted a story as if he had witnessed it firsthand: “That day, Eight Revered An emerged from the crossroads, taking three years to finally become a Swordsman. But there were only seven Swordsmen, and with youthful ambition, he challenged one of them outside the City of Dead Buddha…”

“Hua Changdeng!”

Xu Xiaoshou’s breathing quickened: “And then?”

Mr. Si Ren continued: “Swordsman Hua naturally had to accept the challenge. Eight Revered An’s reputation as the strongest sword talent since ancient times was well-deserved. But on the day of the decisive battle, as soon as the fight began, and everyone thought the Swordsman title was about to change hands, Eight Revered An’s treasured sword, Qingju, was instantly severed. Swordsman Hua, with three swords, ended the legend of the Eighth Swordsman.”

That’s it? Xu Xiaoshou waited a moment for more, thinking, *My neck is sore from craning, and that’s all you’re telling me?* Where’s the process? Others at least give a brief summary; you just omit it entirely? He looked at Mr. Si Ren’s silently smiling face and suddenly realized: so this couldn’t be spoken of either? Keeping mum?

Mr. Si Ren then changed the subject. “Eight Revered An was already You Tu’s man at that time. After that battle, You Tu instantly achieved Sainthood. He single-handedly ascended Guizhe Holy Mountain, decapitated the previous Hall Master of the Holy Divine Palace with seven swords, and then disappeared. Since then, he has never re-entered the mortal world.”