Chapter 840: Captain, Still On The Way

Void Island, situated above the Eastern Heaven King City.

The majestic ancient city, with its mottled walls, had been pulled out of the spatial currents by more than half within just a few days. Thick chains of Heavenly Dao tightly bound a corner of the colossal city, as if trying to drag it back into the spatial currents, forever sealing history and truth in an unknown realm. Nevertheless, an immense force continued to push the Sky City outward, bit by bit.

A mournful wind whistled.

Beneath the Sky City, concealed within the Heavenly Secret Array and the Dao Principles, were numerous figures in red and white robes. This contingent represented the largest deployment of personnel, second only to the heavily fortified areas of the Cloud-Forest Mountain Range. Despite such formidable defenses, many Dao Severers and Grand Void cultivators attempted to smuggle themselves into the mysterious island using their own methods, hoping to seize a faint wisp of the Saint Sealing Dao Foundation.

The King City was tranquil. The Void Island, however, held deadly intent. While one place was peaceful, the other, in a realm unseen by anyone, witnessed explosions of territorial boundaries and repeated battles.

Upon the Heavenly Dao chains that shackled the city corner, within a concealed spatial barrier, a disheveled middle-aged man, leading a handsome young man in a red robe, bypassed numerous battles and climbed the chains towards the Void Island.

“Brother, slow down,” the Storyteller said, his voice filled with worry. “Your cultivation has dropped to the Post-natal realm. If you accidentally fall and die, it would be an unheard-of absurdity!”

Ba Zun’an moved swiftly, his steps light. “Shut your jinxing mouth,” he grumbled. “Just keep an eye on me. If I really fall to my death, it’ll be all your fault.”

“You’ve already fallen twice!” The Storyteller tried to help him, but Ba Zun’an refused. He pouted and retorted unhappily, “Even the aftershocks of a Dao Severer’s battle can send you flying. I really don’t understand why you didn’t just summon Void Island to the Cloud-Forest Mountain Range. Why go in early?”

“There are important matters to attend to, of course,” Ba Zun’an replied without looking back.

Under the concealment of the ancient book’s spatial barrier, the two ingeniously evaded the Heavenly Secret and reached the city wall in half a day. However, with Void Island having appeared days ago, it seemed the Holy Divine Palace had already heavily fortified it. The moment Ba Zun’an ascended to the island, the barrier on the city wall flashed briefly.

“Oh dear!” The Storyteller immediately burst into laughter. “Brother, it looks like you’ve been discovered!”

“Let’s go in first,” Ba Zun’an said. On the city wall, a black and white Yin-Yang fish array appeared, seemingly to verify their identity. Ba Zun’an remained unfazed. He pulled out a Purple Extreme Eight-Character Token, pressed it against the city wall, and declared coldly, “Both the Black and White Lineages honor me as their master!”

Buzz— A mysterious ripple spread outwards. The Yin-Yang fish array shimmered with starlight, transforming into a spatial teleportation passage.

“Go!” The two pushed off with their toes, lunged towards the passage, and vanished instantly at the corner of the ancient city wall.

Holy Divine Palace, Eastern Heaven King City Headquarters.

Inside the council hall, Yu Zhiwen stared blankly at the massive Heavenly Secret Array in front of her, lost in thought. Suddenly, the Heavenly Secret Array, which had been dormant for days, flickered with a bright light. Then, an image was transmitted. It showed two unusually dressed men: one in black, disheveled, with eight fingers and a scar on his neck; the other in a red robe, holding an ancient book, with a handsome face.

Yu Zhiwen’s heart skipped a beat. She recognized both of them.

“Ba Zun’an, the Storyteller!”

“They’ve all arrived…”

Without a Void Token, outsiders would find it difficult to enter Sky City, even if they located its gates. Yet these two, as if returning home, easily activated a teleportation portal to enter. The situation was urgent.

Yu Zhiwen pulled out a communication bead and called, “Elder Chu.”

Chu Lisheng responded, appearing instantly within the council hall. His sole mission there was to keep a close watch on Sky City. If Yu Zhiwen’s communication bead remained silent, he would simply be an idle observer and later claim credit. But the moment it rang, it signaled that something important had occurred.

“What is it?” Chu Lisheng urgently asked as soon as he landed.

“Elder Chu, take a look.” Yu Zhiwen waved her hand, and the scene of Ba Zun’an and the Storyteller entering the island replayed.

Seeing the disheveled man with a look of weariness, seemingly on the verge of death, even with only eight fingers, Chu Lisheng initially didn’t believe it. Was this truly the Eighth Sword Immortal’s appearance? But then, upon hearing the words, “Both the Black and White Lineages honor me as their master,” he panicked.

“What he said is true… what the Dao Hall Master said is truly true!”

“The Eighth Sword Immortal… has he really conquered the entire inner island of Void Island? The Black and White Lineages… did he actually enter decades ago and achieve unification?”

“It’s over. How did he manage to get in?” Chu Lisheng’s scalp tingled with dread.

Yu Zhiwen turned her gaze to him, appearing calmer by comparison. “Elder Chu, the Eighth Sword Immortal’s Eight-Character Token is equivalent to a Void Token. As long as Sky City appears, his entry is something we cannot prevent. Our only course of action now is to quickly inform Sword Immortal Rao.”

“Very well!” Chu Lisheng also reacted, immediately taking out his communication bead. While infusing it with spiritual energy, he soared away, saying, “I will go meet Sword Immortal Rao directly. You continue to monitor, and notify me immediately if you discover anything new.”

“Understood.” Yu Zhiwen nodded, watching Elder Chu depart. The hall returned to tranquility, as if nothing had happened at all.

“Void Island, Sky City, Saint Sealing Dao Foundation…” Yu Zhiwen murmured. With a wave of her hand, the Heavenly Secret Array displayed over a dozen battle scenes. These were images of figures in red and white robes battling various blurry-faced cultivators of the Throne, Dao Severer, and even Grand Void realms. These battles were all taking place outside Sky City.

Yu Zhiwen found herself unable to determine: were these Dao Severers seeking the Saint Sealing Dao Foundation, or were they merely seeking death? Ever since Sky City first appeared, she had used the Heavenly Secret Array to observe all scenes and had witnessed dozens of similar battles. Without exception, not a single person had been able to breach the blockade of the red and white robed figures.

Sky City was like a large jar, with a few ounces of meat thrown inside. Countless fierce beasts flocked to it, eager to claim a share. But apart from meeting their demise, there truly was no other possibility. As for the so-called Saint Sealing Dao Foundation, not a single person dared to assert with absolute certainty that it truly existed. Yet, people continued to rush forward, one after another, to their deaths.

“Those outside want to get in; those inside want to get out…” Yu Zhiwen rested her elbows on the table, her slender fingers intertwined and pressed against her chin, muttering to herself, “Master, why won’t you tell me the secrets of Void Island?”

Perhaps out of sheer boredom, she watched for a while, seeing no unexpected developments. With a shift in Yu Zhiwen’s thoughts, the Heavenly Secret Array’s display changed. In a corner, an inconspicuous spirit mirror magnified before her eyes.

“Xu Xiaoshou, you should be here by now, shouldn’t you?”

“With such a grand event at Eastern Heaven King City, and you being a Saint Servant, how could you possibly be absent?” Yu Zhiwen stared at the spirit mirror, a slight curve forming at the corner of her mouth beneath her veil. The spirit mirror displayed a scene of Young Master Xu from Heavenly First Tower sitting cross-legged in enlightenment.

Whenever someone approached, Yu Zhiwen would switch the screen. The moment the council hall was empty, she would stare at this suspicious image, trying to find evidence. Because her current mission was merely to monitor Sky City’s Heavenly Secret Array. As long as nothing went wrong there, other responsibilities wouldn’t fall upon a junior like her. Thus, she had plenty of time to play a 'spot the difference' game.

“He’s really putting on quite a show…” Yu Zhiwen shifted to a more comfortable position, tilting her head, resting her cheek on the back of her hand, and staring intently. “It’s a pity, though, I don’t have any evidence to prove that you are who you are, otherwise…”

As she spoke, suddenly, her star-like eyes blinked gently, her long eyelashes fluttered, and she made a gesture in the air, frowning with a hint of uncertainty. “Has he… grown taller?”

Cloud-Forest Mountain Range, East.

After a quarter of an hour, Xu Xiaoshou emerged from his state of enlightenment, opening his eyes filled with pleasant surprise. He took a step, and was ten paces away! Without any ripple, the afterimage at his original spot gradually faded, as if he had just teleported.

“Spatial Rules, Shrinking the Ground to an Inch!” Xu Xiaoshou was elated. This time, he hadn’t used “Ascend to the Heavens in a Single Step.” He had merely integrated the Dao Rules he had just comprehended into his own movements. Combined with “Agility,” his speed had more than doubled! While this couldn’t yet be called teleportation, the spatial attribute, renowned as the fastest, indeed lived up to its reputation. Having only grasped the threshold, a slight application already elevated his nearly top-tier escape abilities by another level.

Before this, despite possessing numerous passive abilities, only “Ascend to the Heavens in a Single Step” allowed Xu Xiaoshou to touch upon spatial rules. However, that was merely an awakened skill, not a spatial attribute itself, and he had no understanding of its intricacies. But after consuming the Source Endowment Essence and comprehending the true Spatial Grand Dao, Xu Xiaoshou could confirm that this time, he had truly managed to comprehend a bit of spatial attribute through postnatal means.

“My comprehension seems to have improved?” To his pleasant surprise, Xu Xiaoshou had originally thought that his “terrible” comprehension, exemplified by taking three years to learn a single style of “White Clouds Drifting,” would not grant him any advantages in Dao comprehension. But the result was completely different. With various Throne-level mastery passive abilities, it was as if a solid foundation for Dao Rule comprehension had been laid for him. By analogy, even comprehending the extremely difficult “Spatial Rules” allowed him to achieve a small success within a mere quarter of an hour.

“A pleasant surprise!” Xu Xiaoshou inferred that this was likely not only an additional effect from his mastery passive abilities but also a long-term amplification from soul and spirit-type passive abilities such as “Perception” and “Finger of Illusion and Annihilation.” His soul strength had increased, and his comprehension naturally rose with it.

“As long as it’s a good thing,” he thought. Xu Xiaoshou stopped pondering, withdrew his thoughts, and looked around. His two great guardians, over forty Zongshi, and more than nine hundred members of the Xu Gang were all staring at him with wide eyes.

“Young Master Xu, a great harvest?” Liu Changqing had not previously known what Young Master Xu’s true attributes were. But upon seeing Young Master Xu emit the aura of spatial rules with a single step after his enlightenment, he finally understood what true genius meant. Not only was he ahead in both sword and alchemy paths, but even his innate attribute power was the rarely seen “spatial” attribute, perhaps once in a thousand years? How were others supposed to live?

“A small gain,” Xu Xiaoshou waved his hand dismissively, not intending to explain further. He looked at Rong Dahao. “How’s your thinking coming along?” He had given the little fatty an incense stick’s worth of time earlier, but he had finished off the Cloud Beasts in just three sword strikes. Instead, consuming the Source Endowment Essence had taken up quite a bit of time. Xu Xiaoshou turned back to Rong Dahao, wanting to see if the fatty still harbored any rebellious thoughts after witnessing some of his abilities.

“Young Master Xu!” To his surprise, Rong Dahao bowed deeply and solemnly, full of submission. “From now on, in this journey through the Cloud-Forest Mountain Range, I, Rong Dahao, will follow Young Master Xu’s lead!”

This was the conclusion Rong Dahao had reached after long deliberation. Not to mention the ghost beast parasitic in Young Master Xu, which only he knew about and for which there was no evidence. Solely by virtue of being defeated and subdued during the trial, he had no choice but to submit. Even if the truth came out later, he believed the Red Robes would have no reason to implicate him, Rong Dahao, and his family. Because this was a normal submission. As long as Rong Dahao wished to continue the trial, he would have to join the Xu Gang, which was perfectly justifiable and undisputed. Of course, the most crucial point was… Rong Dahao was afraid of death. Young Master Xu’s finger, which annihilated souls, was the last straw that broke the camel’s back, instantly providing him with many reasons to persuade himself. Even if there weren’t any, he would have forced out many reasons.

“Young Master Xu!” As Rong Dahao lowered his head, nearly forty Zongshi from the original Rong clan team also collectively lowered their heads and exclaimed with respectful tones. Undoubtedly, Young Master Xu’s character and strength could win them over. If their leader resisted stubbornly, they would fight to the death. But if their leader had surrendered, were they to refuse and await death?!

“Very good.” Xu Xiaoshou looked around, nodding in approval, highly appreciating Rong Dahao’s choice. This little fatty’s abilities were formidable; given time, he could very well become a powerhouse comparable to the Six Department Chiefs or the Seven Sword Immortals. Unfortunately, he was still a young man at the moment. As long as they were peers, Xu Xiaoshou truly didn’t put anyone in his sights. In his eyes, the struggle was never merely among peers; it had long since ascended to the heights of Dao Severers and Grand Void cultivators. Although, if he encountered them, he could only run for now… But even so, among his peers, there really weren't one or two who could withstand a single punch or sword strike from him!

“Since Little Haozi has also pledged his allegiance, I shall now announce an important decision.” Xu Xiaoshou’s gaze swept over everyone.

Little Haozi… Rong Dahao trembled slightly, daring not to voice any complaints.

Xu Xiaoshou continued, “The Xu Gang will establish a Sixth Squad. Apart from the Five Tiger Generals, all those who have reached the Zongshi level will join the Sixth Squad!” Upon hearing this, the eyes of all the Zongshi lit up. This measure was clearly intended to completely win over the Rong clan. Because among the Zongshi present, the original Rong clan team comprised the largest number. Was Young Master Xu intending to keep them together, undivided, undisturbed, and under unified management? If so, then the squad leader…

Rong Dahao looked up, seemingly understanding something, but he didn’t voice it. Lei Ze, with a sidelong glance, reacted and asked on his behalf, “Then, Young Master Xu, who will be the leader of this Sixth Squad?”

Xu Xiaoshou looked at Rong Dahao. Rong Dahao’s heart pounded.

“You will serve as the Vice-Captain, acting as interim Captain for the time being, directly following my orders,” Xu Xiaoshou said.

Rong Dahao was taken aback. Vice-Captain? Interim Captain? Among everyone present, who else could be more suitable than him to be the leader of this Sixth Squad?

“Only interim Captain?” Lei Ze was indignant. He stepped forward and asked, “What about the Captain? Is there someone here, besides Young Master Xu, who is stronger than Brother Hao?”

“There really is…” Xu Xiaoshou subtly glanced at his two great guardians and smiled. “As for the Captain, they are still on their way.”