Chapter 839: Source Essence, The Power of All Attributes

"So powerful!"

Above Falling Cloud Peak, Xu Xiaoshou stared intently at his finger, his heart filled with shock.

This single touch was silent, invisible, and incorporeal. Even the fastest person could only glimpse a flicker of green light. And then, they perished completely.

This 'Illusory Extinction Finger' must be overpowered!

Oh, my... Xu Xiaoshou was terrified, feeling utterly bewildered. He had never imagined that what he had mastered would be such a terrifying soul attack technique. If he had used this technique on enemies he'd encountered in the past, would he still be alive today?

"Not necessarily..."

"This move is too powerful! Even someone highly skilled in soul attacks might not achieve this level of quality. After all, this attack consumed three percent of its charge."

Yes, the Cloud Beast's final wave of sonic attacks directly boosted the 'Illusory Extinction Finger's' charge value to over three. Compared to the physical body, the soul is generally incredibly fragile. Xu Xiaoshou felt it was understandable that his single touch could pierce through all of the Cloud Beast's mental and spiritual defenses.

But the emergence of such a terrifying technique made him a little overly worried. Since he himself could achieve this, then in this world, there must certainly be other practitioners skilled in soul attacks who had reached a similar level, or even surpassed him significantly. Perhaps they weren't enemies, but if he were to truly encounter such an enemy in the future, he would have to be prepared!

"Fortunately, my 'Illusory Extinction Finger' doesn't actually require a finger to activate. As long as my spirit is attacked, I can unleash it with a single thought afterward."

"This means that even if someone ambushes me, as long as 'Spiritual Awakening' is triggered, I can immediately retaliate."

"Now, I can only pray that whoever ambushes me isn't a friend."

Xu Xiaoshou felt a surge of emotion. With this newfound vigilance, he would only be extremely cautious from now on. Anyone who dared to play such a dangerous trick with his soul would truly have to bear the consequence of inexplicably dying from a backlash.

"'Illusory Extinction Finger'..."

Xu Xiaoshou carefully examined his finger. With this technique at his disposal, his soul defense would be incredibly formidable.

"I need to keep looking for Cloud Beasts. Each activation of 'Illusory Extinction Finger,' like the 'Passive Fist,' empties its charge value."

"Outside, encountering mental or soul attacks is, after all, rare, and their intensity might not be as high. If it's too high, I can't withstand it."

"Therefore, it would be better to take advantage of my current presence in the Cloud Ridge Mountains and use the Cloud Beasts to increase the 'Illusory Extinction Finger's' charge value. Later, when I go out, if any Grandmasters or Demigods try to control me through my soul..."

As Xu Xiaoshou thought this, the corner of his mouth suddenly curled into an evil smile. At that time, he would certainly return an immense surprise to them. A surprise that could even lead to death!

"Let's check the gains." He opened the scoreboard.

Previously, Xu Xiaoshou's ranking had fallen out of the top thirty-six, but after furiously accumulating ten thousand passive points, he had now returned to the twelfth position. At this moment, the top ten on the scoreboard seemed to be killing like madmen. Their points compared to those ranked lower were truly far ahead.

"One, Chong Yuan, Points: 168,400.""Two, Jiang Xian, Points: 120,650.""Three, Gu Qingsan, Points: 100,000.""Four, Duo'er, Points: 84,200.""Five, Luo Yin, Points: 64,000.""Twelve, Xiao Wanfeng, Come to the East and Find This Young Master, Points: 15,400."

The top eighteen on the list all had scores exceeding ten thousand. The top three on the list had scores over one hundred thousand.

"How are they doing this?" Xu Xiaoshou wondered. "These people are too crazy." Or perhaps I should rephrase the question. "How are they killing so much?"

He glanced at the bottom of the scoreboard. Currently, the number of people on the list was just over twenty-one thousand. At this point, almost all participants should have acquired at least one Cloud Bead, meaning approximately ninety-nine percent of the trialists had made it onto the list. However, with only just over twenty thousand people remaining on the list, this meant that after only one day of trials, ten thousand trialists had been eliminated.

"This is insane!" Xu Xiaoshou exclaimed. He felt he really needed to implement his strategy quickly. From now on, when he encountered people, he would no longer recruit them into the Xu Gang but directly plunder their points. Otherwise, his twelfth position on the scoreboard might not even get warm before he was pushed out.

"What is this?" As he pondered, his 'Perception' spotted a handful of liquid essence, glowing with spiritual light, floating in the void where the Cloud Beast had vanished.

"A treasure left behind after the Cloud Beast's death?" Xu Xiaoshou floated over and picked up the liquid essence. The moment his fingertip touched it, a clear and ethereal sensation arose in his spiritual mind, as if he was about to enter a state of enlightenment. Xu Xiaoshou was astonished.

"This is..."

"This is Source Endowment Essence!" Liu Changqing had already floated over by now and stood beside Young Master Xu, a look of surprise on his face. He explained, "What a treasure! It seems Hall Master Cheng truly left many things for the trialists. This is an excellent item!"

"What does it do?" Xu Xiaoshou asked, looking at him.

"Source Endowment Essence, when consumed, allows a Grandmaster Alchemist to instantly enter a state of enlightenment and comprehend the pure rules of the Great Dao," Liu Changqing explained. "This handful, I estimate, can significantly perfect one's own Dao principles. At the very least, if consumed by a Sky-phenomenon Realm cultivator under your command, they could instantly break through their bottleneck and advance to the Yin-Yang Realm."

Xu Xiaoshou was astonished. "It has such a useful purpose?"

Without hesitation, he swallowed it. He instantly felt his soul become clear and transparent, as if bathed in mint, feeling incredibly refreshed. At the same time, the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth appeared before his eyes in a tangible form.

Gold, Wood, Water, Earth, Wind, Fire, Thunder, Lightning, Yin, Yang, Time, Space, Existence, Non-existence, Reality, Illusion... From the basic Five Elements to advanced mutated attributes, and even the difficult-to-comprehend Time and Space, it even ascended to 'True' and 'False,' which point directly to the essence of the Great Dao and the origin of rules. The Dao principles manifested, a dazzling array.

Xu Xiaoshou felt as if he had entered a shop selling Dao principles. Looking around, he was overwhelmed, and for a moment didn't even know which Dao to comprehend first. Liu Changqing's voice was faint, like a guide trying not to interrupt Young Master Xu's enlightenment state, and he reminded him, "When you consume Source Endowment Essence, you will immediately see a compatible Dao principle belonging to your own attribute. Seize the time to comprehend it; don't waste it."

"One?" Xu Xiaoshou was slightly stunned. "This is not just one. This is an entire network of world rules all appearing before my eyes!"

Suddenly, he realized. When he broke through to the Innate Realm, his innate attribute power had been forcibly absorbed by the passive system. In other words, he was attribute-less. But for someone without an attribute, would consuming 'Source Endowment Essence' be this mysterious and allow them to see the essence of all Great Daos?

"No!" A sudden realization struck Xu Xiaoshou. He truly understood why the passive system had swallowed his innate attribute power then. It didn't want to give him 'one' type, but rather 'all' of them.

"All attributes!" Xu Xiaoshou's eyes lit up. "Oh, great system, this is amazing! You absorbed my innate attribute power wonderfully!"

"Seize the moment." There was no time to ponder idly. Too much was presented before him. Xu Xiaoshou knew he couldn't comprehend everything all at once. He chose the 'Space' Great Dao, which he yearned for the most but had only a superficial understanding of, to comprehend thoroughly.

He sat cross-legged in the void. A Dao Lotus subtly emerged. Dao resonance permeated the air.

The Grandmasters of the Xu Gang and the Rong Clan also arrived at the scene by this time. Seeing Young Master Xu in a state of enlightenment, with Liu Changqing and Xin Gugu guarding him, they dared not disturb him.

"Another enlightenment after a fight?" The Five Tiger Generals were surprised.

"He's already so strong, and his comprehension is still so terrifying? New progress after just one battle?" Rong Dahao was also quite shocked. No one else had slain a Cloud Beast before, so they naturally didn't know the effect of Source Endowment Essence.

And so, Xu Xiaoshou sat cross-legged in the air alone, with two ghostly beast hosts guarding him closely. Over forty Grandmasters formed a circle, vigilantly watching their surroundings, and below, nine hundred Innate Realm cultivators scattered around, looked on with anticipation. If an outsider were to witness this scene, they would surely be stunned.

Outside the Cloud Realm World.

In the void, Rao Yaoyao touched a spiritual mirror with her finger, magnifying a certain scene belonging to the eastern region. On it was the sight of the Xu Gang occupying an area.

"He is Young Master Xu," Rao Yaoyao said softly.

A cool breeze carried fine rain, the rain pattering against the clear sky, bringing a leisurely, swaying, shadowy voice: "It's not him."

"Oh?" Rao Yaoyao smiled. "You're so sure?"

The ethereal voice said: "Xu Xiaoshou is a Sword Sect disciple; even if he's a genius, his swordsmanship isn't as powerful as this Young Master Xu's. Xu Xiaoshou specializes in the extreme fire element, yet Young Master Xu is comprehending spatial rules."

"Unless Xu Xiaoshou simultaneously possesses fire, space, and sword attributes, but typical Innate awakenings don't have such exaggerated, abnormal talent."

Rao Yaoyao chuckled softly and countered: "Xu Xiaoshou's talent should not be underestimated. Otherwise, Ba Zun'an wouldn't have taken an interest in him. He learned swordsmanship from Ba Zun'an and fire techniques from Sang Qiye. Additionally, he has displayed space-like spiritual techniques such as invisibility and instant movement. How can he not possess the talents you mentioned?"

"I disagree." The ethereal voice clearly disagreed and replied: "The fire element is Xu Xiaoshou's main discipline. His swordsmanship was not taught by Ba Zun'an. Compared to other geniuses in the Eastern Region, his sword Dao can only be considered upper-middle tier. At the very least, the three swordsmen from the Sword Tomb far surpass him. Only Saint Servant Lei Shuangxing received direct instruction from Ba Zun'an."

"You've fought him; I won't argue with you about that," Rao Yaoyao said. "But is there a possibility that he's broken through again?"

The voice in the void was silent for a moment, then replied: "There is indeed such a possibility. Xu Xiaoshou's growth is, after all, too rapid."

"But the Spiritual Department has analyzed it. His spatial abilities are special spiritual techniques and do not carry spatial attribute components. Otherwise, when he used his sword or moves, I would have been able to discern the Dao rhythm of spatial rules."

"Yet, at this moment, Young Master Xu consumed Source Endowment Essence, and the first thing he comprehended was not swordsmanship, but space. This indicates that spatial abilities are his hidden trump card. Swordsmanship and alchemy are merely diversions."

At this point, the ethereal voice expressed a hint of awe: "Even his diversions are so powerful. I've seen the depths of Demigod successors before, but this Young Master Xu is truly much stronger than others."

"If he enters the Holy Palace, he deserves to be a Saint Son." Rao Yaoyao also nodded in affirmation.

"His temperament might be a bit difficult, but it's worth a try. The Holy Divine Temple is the true path to Sainthood," the ethereal voice said after a pause.

Rao Yaoyao waved her hand dismissively and no longer paid attention to Young Master Xu. Ever since she met Mr. Si Ren, she knew that the possibility of Young Master Xu being Xu Xiaoshou was basically zero. After all, Mei Si Ren wouldn't joke about his own future. A person from an ancient era, who had lived for so long, sought nothing more than the ultimate path to godhood. He should know what the consequences would be if he colluded with the Saint Servants. Therefore, with Young Master Xu's identity affirmed by Mr. Si Ren, Rao Yaoyao was essentially at ease. It was just that out of caution, she still maintained some vigilance. Otherwise, Rao Yaoyao would not have merely sent Situ Yongren to visit the First Heaven's Pavilion but would have gone herself.

"In one day, the 'smugglers' have mostly been cleared out." Rao Yaoyao looked at another spiritual mirror and said: "For some people still worth noting, I've dispatched trial officials to go and test them. Whether they can force them to act depends on their capabilities."

"But there are still some..." Rao Yaoyao paused as she spoke. She made a sweeping motion with her hand, and several spiritual mirrors before her magnified. Among them, one spiritual mirror conspicuously displayed the Xu Gang's scene. More precisely, the scene showed not Young Master Xu, but his bodyguard, Liu Changqing!

"The Cloud Realm World detected these few as problematic. I don't understand what the specific problem is, and Situ Yongren is also working hard to investigate the implications."

"But one thing is confirmed." Rao Yaoyao pointed, and the image returned to the Xu Gang's scene. She stared at Liu Changqing, who was above, and said, "This person has mastered Heaven's Secret Arts."

The voice in the void replied: "Heaven's Secret Arts outside the Dao Department?"

"Yes."

"That's not surprising," the voice said. "The world is vast, and there are always Heaven's Secret Art practitioners from unconventional backgrounds who can do very well. After all, Heaven's Secret Arts, to put it plainly, is the study and utilization of the fundamental rules of the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth. Every alchemist is, in fact, progressing on this path. It's just that what Heaven's Secret Art practitioners study is the essence of Dao distinct from the rules of various elements."

Rao Yaoyao shook her head. "The problem lies in this: More than half a year ago, Void Island first showed signs of unrest and descent. A few months ago, it appeared in the spatial currents within the Eastern Heaven Realm. After that, someone escaped from it."

"Oh?" This time, it caused surprise.

Rao Yaoyao pointed at Liu Changqing and continued: "The identity this person reported is indeed very genuine, but it couldn't withstand the thorough investigation of the Red Clothes. He concealed his true identity."

"And Heaven's Secret Arts, throughout the five regions, are still only practiced by a few, no matter how many people study it."

"At such a critical juncture, a 'wild' Heaven's Secret Art practitioner suddenly appeared in Eastern Heaven Imperial City, whose abilities are not weak and who can even earn Situ Yongren's admiration. This is highly debatable."

"Most crucially..." Rao Yaoyao paused, and said: "The one who escaped from Void Island this time, was Old Ancestor Wuji."

The void suddenly trembled. The fine rain instantly retracted and ceased to exist.

The ethereal voice responded very firmly this time: "Don't worry, leave this to me. It won't harm Young Master Xu's perception of the Holy Palace, and at the same time, I can determine the true identity of this Heaven's Secret Art practitioner."

Upon hearing this, Rao Yaoyao nodded her exquisite head and flicked a slender finger.

"Go!"