Chapter 841: Heavenly Secret Reward

The captain hadn't even arrived yet? Everyone was dumbfounded. What kind of situation was this?

Rong Dahao felt a surge of dissatisfaction. Even though he disdained the position of captain, a competitive spirit now rose within him. Still, he remained silent. Lei Ze glanced around, ready to speak up for his "Brother Hao" and secure the position.

At that moment, Xu Xiaoshou saw that everyone had something to say, so he exercised his "one-sword veto" power and declared: "Hold it in, I'm not finished speaking! Don't worry, even though the captain hasn't appeared yet, they are one of my subordinates. Any random person from my Celestial First Tower is capable of crushing all you Grandmasters. The minor role of captain is easily within their grasp," he said with an air of ease.

Everyone, however, was infuriated. These words were practically pointing at everyone's noses and directly insulting them, akin to saying, "I'm not targeting anyone specifically, but all of you present are trash!"

"Young Master Xu, you're being a bit harsh." Seeing that the Grandmasters from his original team were enraged, Rong Dahao, not wanting to provoke conflict, said in a low voice, "If Young Master Xu wants me to temporarily fill the captain's role, I can do it. The position itself is neither here nor there for me. However, to win over the hearts of the brothers below, your words might have been a bit inappropriate..."

"What's inappropriate about it?" Xu Xiaoshou, however, was open and direct, clearly stating to everyone, "What I say is what it is. I'm merely stating a factual truth; why hide it? All of you present are indeed geniuses, but you must know that there's always a higher heaven beyond this one, and always someone more capable. I'm pushing you down because I want you to curb your pride and impatience. Just like before, who could have imagined that I would only need one sword strike to deal with all of you?"

Everyone lowered their heads in shame.

Xu Xiaoshou chuckled and turned to Rong Dahao: "When the captain arrives, if any of you don't trust their abilities, you can directly challenge them in a continuous battle. Whoever wins will be the captain!"

Everyone was moved. Young Master Xu was so confident; it seemed he truly believed in his subordinate? Could this not be an opportunity?

Everyone had entered the Royal City Trial with the goal of reaching the top thirty-six on the final scoreboard. With the Xu Gang being so vast, if the captain of the Sixth Squad couldn't even make it into the top thirty-six on the final scoreboard, it would be a joke. Therefore, the position of captain for the Sixth Squad would, in all likelihood, be a guaranteed spot in the Saint Palace Trial.

This time, even Lei Ze was tempted. He looked at Rong Dahao, already starting to cheer himself on internally. Who wouldn't want to turn their fortunes around? All were geniuses; who would be content to be second when they could be first?

"There's still time..." There was still some time before the true captain of the Sixth Squad would arrive. During this period, without suppressing their cultivation, everyone had a chance to contend for the captain's position.

Xu Xiaoshou smiled contentedly, seeing that his few words had not only divided the unity of Rong's original team but also ignited everyone's competitive spirit. He didn't know who the captain would be. However, he had already set a rule: whoever found him first would be the captain. If Xiao Wanfeng showed up... "My apologies, Xiao Wanfeng, but you might have to face a bloody brawl. But who knows, it might force out even more potential from your Hidden Sword Arts, right?"

Xu Xiaoshou spoke this way without fear of his subordinates rebelling. Fear was an act of the weak. He was so strong. With the Cangku sword in hand, the world was his. In the Xu Gang, people might fight to the death for a vice-leader position, but if you randomly picked someone and asked... who would dare to rebel?

"The six small squads, Rong Dahao, and the Five Tiger Generals, integrate yourselves. Currently, we have over nine hundred members. From now on, the Xu Gang's goal is no longer to recruit more, but to 'plunder'!" Xu Xiaoshou continued to announce his major decisions. "If you encounter Cloud Orbs, absorb them yourselves; the fortune is yours. If you encounter other trial participants, everyone should join the fight. Whoever wins gets the points. If you encounter Cloud Beasts... oh, you can't beat Cloud Beasts, just let me handle them. In any case, I will no longer confiscate your points midway."

Everyone's eyes lit up upon hearing this. Such good news? The Great Leader didn't want points? Had his head been caught in a door just now?

"Young Master Xu, this..." Rong Dahao was also startled. Something was wrong! If he played like this, wouldn't Young Master Xu be pushed out of the top thirty-six on the scoreboard in minutes?

"Calm down." Xu Xiaoshou suppressed the unrest among the Xu Gang members, a smile belonging to the 'Great Devil Xu' appearing at the corner of his mouth: "What I mean is, I won't confiscate them midway. However, from your final point total, I will require each of you to surrender ten thousand points. In other words, I will only plunder ten thousand points from each and every one of you!"

A ripple of shock went through the entire crowd. Ten thousand points? That could get someone into the top twenty on the scoreboard! This Great Devil Xu had a huge appetite, wanting so much?

"What's the rush?" Xu Xiaoshou frowned, quelling the murmurs: "Can't you do the math? It's only the beginning of the Royal City Trial, not even two days in, and some people have already acquired over a hundred thousand points. We're still in the barren eastern region. Once we go to other places, to the Nine Dragon Veins, will you still worry about not having enough points? All I require is that when your points reach twenty thousand, you hand over half of them as repayment for the protection you've received from the Xu Gang. Protection fees, understand? Isn't it tiring for me to draw my sword?"

Xu Xiaoshou's throat was getting dry from talking: "I can guarantee that other teams will funnel all their points to a few individuals. We're different. At the very least, I've given you hope and safety, haven't I?"

Everyone thought carefully and realized that it indeed made sense. Soon someone spoke up: "Then Young Master Xu, what if we can't get twenty thousand points in the end, only a bit over ten thousand? This trial jade pendant can only plunder half, it can't be actively surrendered!"

This person clearly had a trick up their sleeve. Xu Xiaoshou looked at him and scoffed disdainfully: "Everyone here is a genius from the Five Regions. If you can't even accumulate twenty thousand points in a month, I'd consider you too weak. I'll give you those ten thousand-plus points; now pack your bags and get out of the Yunlun Mountains!"

"Pfft ha ha ha..." The crowd below burst into laughter. The person who had asked the question was mortified, nearly wishing for a crack in the ground to crawl into. Indeed, everyone was a genius. Before joining the Xu Gang, each of them wished to contend with the heavens. After joining the Xu Gang, they were actually worried about not even getting twenty thousand points and even started having petty thoughts.

"You're quite a talent yourself!" Xu Xiaoshou exclaimed with genuine feeling and smiled: "If any of you want to hoard your points, you can certainly do so. As long as your points don't reach twenty thousand, I won't even bother to seek you out or plunder you. But opportunities are always for you to seize. You decide for yourselves!"

Amidst the roaring laughter below, some people laughed while others fell into deep thought. Indeed, Young Master Xu had given them too many opportunities. Each person only needed to surrender ten thousand points a month, and all subsequent points would be theirs. Furthermore, Young Master Xu wasn't even taking the spiritual essence feedback or insights into Dao principles from the Cloud Orbs... What a good person! Where could they find such a great leader?

For a moment, even the Grandmasters in the Sixth Squad developed a considerable liking for Young Master Xu. Ten thousand points was an easy task for them as Grandmasters, and besides that, they all had a chance to become the captain of the Sixth Squad.

"Charge!" Suddenly, the vitality of the Xu Gang members was ignited. Previously, everyone had been listless, feeling like they were just working for Young Master Xu. Now it was different; once the quota was met, everything remaining was theirs. Women, delicacies, elixirs... all could go to hell! Points were king! Accumulate twenty thousand points, break through to Grandmaster, contend for captain, get into the top thirty-six on the scoreboard, seize a spot in the Saint Palace Trial... become a Saint! Some even went so far as to imagine becoming a Saint.

Seeing everyone impatient, Xu Xiaoshou waved his hand, instructing each squad leader to lead their teams in furiously collecting Cloud Orbs, hunting Cloud Beasts, and heading toward the Nine Dragon Veins.

"Alright!" Xin Gugu, seeing everyone's morale transformed, exclaimed in surprise: "How is it that with just a few words from you, everyone has changed completely? Is this what they call a silver tongue?"

"What silver tongue? This is wisdom!" Xu Xiaoshou rolled his eyes at him: "You're still not sharp-witted; you haven't seen the true brilliance of this move!"

"What's so brilliant?" Xin Gugu asked curiously.

"Look." Xu Xiaoshou pointed at the Xu Gang members and said with a smile: "What I've given them are their individual future gains. I'm using the future gains of nine hundred people to earn myself a full nine million points, yet they still feel like they've gained more and are eager to work hard to earn money for me."

Xin Gugu's eyes widened. He thought about it and realized it was indeed true. This was incredibly clever!

"That's not even the most brilliant part," Xu Xiaoshou said with a mysterious smile.

Xin Gugu leaned in closer, nudging Xu Xiaoshou's shoulder, and humbly asked, "Stop teasing me and teach me."

"Look at me, what have I given?" Xu Xiaoshou spread his hands.

"You..." Xin Gugu looked at his empty hands, hesitating, "What did you give?"

"I gave nothing."

"Huh?"

"This move..." Xu Xiaoshou smiled like a fox, "This move is called 'empty-handed wolf-catching'!"

Xin Gugu thought about it and realized it was true! At most, Xu Xiaoshou had only expended some saliva... This was truly ingenious! Xin Gugu was somewhat stunned by this realization. He finally understood what Xu Xiaoshou meant by "brilliant." With just a few words, he made nine hundred people fight to the death for him. Wasn't that brilliant?

Xu Xiaoshou patted his head and continued to ask: "If I said one spiritual crystal for one point, would anyone trade?"

"Absolutely not!" Xin Gugu shook his head like a rattle-drum. "Who would be so foolish as to trade points for spiritual crystals?"

"What about ten thousand spiritual crystals for one point?" Xu Xiaoshou asked again.

"This..." This time, Xin Gugu hesitated. "I don't think it's worth it, but someone might trade."

Xu Xiaoshou smiled: "Good. So, if one point is equivalent to ten thousand spiritual crystals, once you learn this trick of mine, you'll be able to make hundreds of people fight to the death for you, earning you a frantic... ninety billion!"

There was a boom. A thunderclap echoed in Xin Gugu's mind. He most wanted to save money for a house, and after this calculation, he realized that Xu Xiaoshou had genuinely earned ninety billion in this wave. He was dumbfounded.

Xu Xiaoshou turned and walked away. Liu Changqing, somewhat admiringly, followed his protector and left. Only Xin Gugu remained rooted to the spot, counting on his fingers in the cold wind, utterly bewildered.

"Good heavens, ninety billion?"

***

The third day since the Royal City Trial began.

"Ding."

All trial participants received the latest message from their trial jade pendants simultaneously. This item had been silent since everyone first entered the Yunlun Mountains and registered their names. Now, with a new instruction, everyone naturally pulled out their pendants to check immediately.

"The first trial participant has entered the inner region of the Yunlun Mountains, triggering a Heavenly Secret Reward. Dao Principle Origin Stones will randomly appear in the inner area. Trial participants, please proceed to acquire them."

This simple message stirred a huge commotion among all the trial participants.

"Dao Principle Origin Stones?" A small number of trial participants were confused. However, most of those from distinguished backgrounds immediately coveted them, abandoning their plans to linger in the outer region and accumulate points by killing. They swiftly moved towards the inner area.

"Origin Stones?"

Eastern region. After slaying the third Cloud Beast, Xu Xiaoshou looked at the trial jade pendant's notification, feeling somewhat puzzled. As they gradually advanced from the east, resources began to increase. In the previous two days, he had only slain one Cloud Beast from Luoyun Peak. On this third day, he had actually encountered two. Just as the charge value for his "Finger of Illusion Extinction" reached "10," Xu Xiaoshou finally succumbed to the nausea caused by the mental attacks and mercifully ended the Cloud Beast.

Heart Sword Art. The newest technique Xu Xiaoshou had mastered after "Sword Proficiency" ascended to the Throne. He hadn't managed to comprehend the Nine Great Sword Arts, but by mimicking Bazun An's abilities, he had managed to unleash one or two tenths of the mental attack essence of the Heart Sword Art, successfully slaying the Cloud Beast.

To one side, Liu Changqing also put down his trial jade pendant and explained: "Dao Principle Origin Stones are indeed great treasures. Even Throne-level cultivators rarely see them. They can allow you to directly touch the essence of the Grand Dao and enter deep insights, equivalent to..." Liu Changqing looked at the handful of divine water in Young Master Xu's hand and chuckled: "Equivalent to an inexhaustible 'Essence Bestowal Elixir'."

Xu Xiaoshou was moved by these words. He had consumed two portions of Essence Bestowal Elixir, greatly enhancing his understanding of spatial rules. So, an Origin Stone was equivalent to an infinite supply of Essence Bestowal Elixir?

"There's a difference." Seeing Young Master Xu's expression, Liu Changqing realized his misunderstanding and added: "Origin Stones have attributes, like Fire Origin Stone, Water Origin Stone, and so on... For Young Master Xu, only by obtaining a Spatial Origin Stone would you truly gain an inexhaustible supply of 'Essence Bestowal Elixir'."

"Is it difficult?" Xu Xiaoshou asked.

"Difficult!" Liu Changqing nodded: "Every spatial-type treasure that appears is precious and is immediately divided among the strong. However, in the Cloud Realm, it's hard to say; it depends on how generous Hall Master Cheng is with his gifts to the trial participants."

Xu Xiaoshou nodded, indicating understanding. This meant that... it was difficult, but it might genuinely appear! And since this item might appear, Xu Xiaoshou had to obtain it. Whether it was due to fate, directly acquiring it, or snatching it from other trial participants.

"Ding." The trial jade pendant alerted again. Everyone opened theirs simultaneously, observing with their spiritual senses.

"Origin Stones are special and cannot be stored in spatial artifacts. For those fated to obtain one, its location and attribute information will be displayed on the trial map. All trial participants, please remain vigilant."

It exploded! This single piece of information completely stunned everyone. Obtaining an Origin Stone meant its location would be revealed on the trial map. Didn't this imply...

"A storm of blood is coming!" A glint flashed in Xu Xiaoshou's eyes. For the weak, this was terrible news, but for the strong, this Origin Stone was not only a treasure but also a perfect tool for accumulating points. After all, kill one who comes, slaughter ten thousand who come!

"Ding." The trial jade pendant, previously still, now vibrated again without giving anyone time to react, bringing another explosive piece of information.

"The first trial participant to enter the inner region of the Yunlun Mountains, Chong Yuan, is rewarded with one Fire Origin Stone and a million points. Please keep them safe."