Chapter 858: Meeting Chief Xu

"Hahaha, this guy's done for, he's kicked a hornet's nest!"

Tang Zheng, wielding his great saber, pointed at the dozen or so black-clad figures in the sky and burst into laughter.

No one had expected that from the moment Gu Qingsan appeared until he was intercepted, only a single impulsive stab had elapsed.

That stab had truly exceeded everyone's expectations.

After nine days, everyone had grown accustomed to the presence of Trial Officials and understood their purpose.

But Gu Qingsan...

Bravery wasn't meant to be used like that.

At best, this could only be considered valor without strategy!

"He won't be able to stir up trouble now. Once the Trial Officials take him away, we can directly begin the next phase of our operation." Someone among the trial participants was beaming with delight.

"Mhm, mhm," a person beside them responded.

"The Spatial Origin Stone—no one can protect it now!"

"Mhm, mhm," came the same perfunctory reply.

"That little girl from Sword Sect... huh? What's wrong with you?" A trial participant, mid-sentence, noticed something unusual about the person next to them.

Unbeknownst to them, new faces had gathered around.

These new faces didn't appear to be allied, but they were discreetly performing small actions in perfect synchronicity—scattering something on the ground.

"What are you doing?" asked the original trial participant.

The new face replied, "Sowing seeds, of course. Don't you think the vegetation here is a bit sparse? There are too many people. If there was more greenery, it wouldn't feel so stuffy." He spoke with an air of absolute certainty.

"Who needs greenery in these mountains!" The trial participant immediately felt bewildered. "Besides, if you sow seeds now, when will trees ever grow?"

"Depends on destiny, I suppose. But Young Master Jiang told us to do it. Who knows what he's thinking? Maybe a Half-Saint Successor just can't stand places without greenery," the new face shrugged indifferently.

The mention of "Young Master Jiang" silenced the original trial participants.

An order from a Half-Saint Successor?

Although the order seemed harmless enough, in the midst of such a tense battle, sending people out to sow seeds seemed... quite foolish.

However, he was a Half-Saint Successor. How could ordinary spirit refiners dare to criticize?

The original group of Grandmasters looked around and found many other "seed players" interspersed among the crowd.

But scattering seeds was such a minor action.

With everyone focused on Gu Qingsan and the Trial Officials, very few people noticed others taking advantage of the situation to perform such an odd little act.

"You, come with us!"

In the sky above, the newly appeared Trial Officials were already attempting to apprehend Gu Qingsan.

Normally, if they acted forcefully, even with the new rules of the trial jade pendant, they might find it difficult to save face.

But with Gu Qingsan having injured someone earlier, taking him away was completely justified.

Gu Qingsan initially intended to resist.

Even if there were four Dao Slayers in front of him, he believed that if he truly fought, and his Sword Intent was unleashed, his Eldest Senior Brother and Second Senior Brother would quickly notice.

At that point, not to mention the four Dao Slayers present, even if a few more appeared, his Eldest Senior Brother would not fear them.

Of course, Eldest Senior Brother's fearlessness didn't mean Gu Qingsan himself wasn't afraid.

"I can go with you, but my Junior Sister..."

"They are part of the normal trial. You cannot take her," the Trial Official interrupted.

Gu Qingsan immediately refused, saying, "Then let's fight. Today, either you die, or I... ugh?"

His words abruptly ceased. His ears twitched slightly, as if he had heard a somewhat familiar voice transmission: "Lead these Trial Officials away. Su Qianqian will be left to me."

Gu Qingsan instinctively wanted to turn his head.

But the voice appeared again: "Don't move. Trust me. Xu Family of Northern Tai Xiang, Tai Xiang Sword, given by Wen Ting. Strictly speaking, you should call me Senior Brother."

Tai Xiang Sword, given by Wen Ting?

What was Tai Xiang Sword?

Wen Ting...

I know Wen Ting, he's my Master!

Gu Qingsan was dumbfounded.

Who was this?

How was he connected to Master, and why was he spouting such strange reasons, even calling himself Senior Brother...

Did I have an unknown, unofficial Senior Brother?

Gu Qingsan felt that the other party spoke with such conviction, as if with irrefutable evidence, like an insider, leaving no room for doubt.

Crucially, he genuinely didn't harbor any suspicion, completely following the other's tone and demeanor.

"You..." Gu Qingsan wanted to speak but didn't know who to transmit his thoughts to.

The other party, however, seemed to have fully read his mind, the voice returning: "Don't worry. To be your Senior Brother, a Sword Dao Throne is certainly essential. But I'm not as foolish as you, saving someone by getting myself into trouble. Utterly idiotic!"

Gu Qingsan felt ashamed.

He felt as though he was being scolded by his Eldest Senior Brother, daring not to refute a single word.

He lowered his head in thought and slowly realized.

Northern Tai Xiang.

And calling himself "I" (a formal, somewhat arrogant pronoun in Chinese).

Recently, in Eastern Heaven King City, there seemed to be a "First Floor Above Heavens" owned by a Young Master Xu from Northern Tai Xiang.

When he and his two Senior Brothers first entered the city, they had even thought of visiting Mr. Si Ren at the First Floor Above Heavens.

But not long after, Mr. Si Ren's aura had vanished.

The three brothers' plans naturally fell through.

And to be associated with Mr. Si Ren, one of the Seven Sword Immortals, the probability of Young Master Xu knowing their Master was indeed very high.

But wasn't he from the Sword Sect?

How did he become a Sword Dao Throne?

Gu Qingsan was a bit bewildered.

Looking towards Su Qianqian, he noticed the "famous" Xiao Wanfeng nearby and knew he was Young Master Xu's person.

So, even if this Senior Brother Xu didn't know Junior Sister Su Qianqian, he should at least save Xiao Wanfeng.

And with Junior Sister accompanying Xiao Wanfeng, she should be safe.

It seemed he only needed to lure away the Trial Officials, leaving space for Senior Brother Xu to fight, and everything would be perfectly resolved...

"Hurry up, what are you spacing out for? Are you waiting to be invited to a feast?!" Senior Brother Xu's voice transmission came again.

Gu Qingsan shrank his neck, feeling that this never-before-met Senior Brother Xu already possessed some of his Eldest Senior Brother's formidable qualities.

He no longer thought too much. Anyway, he was one of their own; he'd trust him this once!

"Want to catch me?" Gu Qingsan looked at the Trial Officials, smiled, then turned and ran. "If you dare, come and try!"

*Whoosh!*

He was incredibly fast, disappearing instantly.

But soon, a *thump* sound came from the distant sky. Gu Qingsan seemed to have crashed into an invisible barrier, holding his forehead and gasping for air.

"Apologies, you can try again. I'll let you go first," the voice transmission appeared.

Gu Qingsan rolled his eyes, realizing that the surrounding area had been sealed by a grand formation. He was somewhat astonished.

When did that happen...?

What exactly did this elusive Senior Brother Xu want to do?

His thoughts lasted only a moment.

Then, he turned back and shouted, "What are you staring at? Weren't you trying to catch me?"

He vanished again.

The dozen or so Trial Officials all had question marks above their heads.

Was this guy a clown?

Just a moment ago, he seemed ready to fight to the death, and in the blink of an eye, he was flying away?

Regardless, their mission as Trial Officials was to chase away this person who might stir up chaos.

Therefore, they immediately gestured.

"Pursue!"

The Trial Officials disappeared.

The trial participants below were stunned.

Gu Qingsan, the Sword Dao Throne, from his enraged appearance to his comical escape, had taken only a brief moment.

The saying "all thunder and no rain" roughly applied here.

But!

"He left."

"That guy, he actually left?"

"The Trial Officials also disappeared. Doesn't that mean..."

Everyone's gaze instantly swept back to Su Qianqian and Xiao Wanfeng, their eyes gleaming with greed.

"Charge!"

This time, Jiang Xian didn't wait. Any more delay would truly lead to unforeseen changes.

He directly raised a hand, commanding everyone under him to launch the final assault.

"Spatial Origin Stone!"

"Kill!"

The shouts were earth-shattering.

This time, however, the trial participants dared not launch a chaotic bombardment.

Because everyone already knew that the little girl from the Sword Sect had a significant background.

This time, they only needed to seize the Origin Stone; the person must not be harmed.

However, as the swarming crowd rushed halfway, they saw a little girl suddenly emerge from the ground in front of Su Qianqian and Xiao Wanfeng.

"Again?"

"Who is it this time?"

Everyone froze for a moment, but their feet didn't stop; they continued to press forward.

This little loli, wearing a small floral green dress, with twin ponytails, and about the same height as Su Qianqian, looked... completely lacking in combat ability!

Unexpectedly, as they continued moving, the twin-ponytail loli seemed provoked. She immediately put her hands on her hips.

"Stop!"

"All of you, stop right there!"

No one paid her any attention.

The little girl's nose wrinkled in anger, wondering why her words never held the same authority as someone else's.

She pointed in front of her and shouted, "All of you stop! You've been surrounded by me!"

Trial participants: "..."

Surrounded?

You, one person, surrounded hundreds of us?

A mischievous individual, while charging, shouted with wild laughter:

"Hahaha, little girl, be smart and get out of the way, otherwise, if we charge past, you'll probably be trampled to pieces!"

"Get lost!"

"I'm dying of laughter, 'surrounded'... with what are you going to surround us?"

Everyone ignored her and, in a matter of moments, reached the three of them.

Mu Zixi felt she had finally waited for this.

This was the moment!

What she wanted was for someone among these trial participants to shout that line: "With what are you going to surround us?"

"Grandma Mu..." Xiao Wanfeng's eyes, from behind, were filled with concern.

Earlier, when he saw the small flowers emerging from the ground and swaying in the wind, he knew his help had arrived.

But he never expected that this time, Grandma Mu herself had brought people.

Young Master Xu wasn't with them at all!

"Can she do it?"

Looking at Grandma Mu, who was standing with her hands on her hips and laughing wildly in front of the crowd, Xiao Wanfeng's eyes were filled with doubt.

At this moment, Mu Zixi suddenly waved her hand, like a bandit chief, and shouted wildly with a hoarse voice that even cracked:

"Brothers, no need to hide anymore... come out!!!"

*Rumble!*

The ground suddenly shook.

Then, continuous *bang bang bang* sounds filled the air, as if a mighty army was charging from all directions.

The trial participants were startled, their charging rhythm disrupted. They stopped and looked around.

There's actually someone?

This girl wasn't bluffing; she really had people?

Such thoughts didn't even linger for a few breaths.

Everyone was astonished to see thousands of people burst out from the surrounding mountainsides, from rocks, from ravines, from the earth...

Thousands of people?!

Those dense heads, those shadowy figures...

Regardless, purely by number, the individuals who had just emerged completely overwhelmed the trial participants in the area!

Jiang Xian, Duo'er, Tang Zheng, and others were completely dumbfounded.

Where did these guys come from?

When did they infiltrate here?

Why did no one detect them beforehand?

To do that, they must have been ambushed on site...

But as soon as the Spatial Origin Stone appeared, Jiang Xian and his group had already rushed over. It was impossible for a thousand people to have been ambushed on site until now, right?

So, the only remaining possibility...

These people must have started digging miles away, burrowing through the ground to get here?

Impossible!

Trial participants had their dignity!

How could they possibly dig through the ground to get here!

Furthermore...

What for?

Just to dig their way here to give everyone a scare?

"Surprised?"

Mu Zixi blinked her shining eyes, looking extremely excited, her tiger teeth gleaming. "I told you, you were surrounded by me, but you didn't believe it!"

She said this to the trial participants in front of her.

After speaking, the little girl flew into the air, closed her eyes, and looked utterly delighted.

Then, while in the air, she gently raised her hands...

The thousand or so trial participants who had emerged from the earth flew into the sky, maintaining the same height, as if they had undergone rigorous training.

Then, everyone took a deep breath and roared in unison:

"Greetings, Leader of the Xu Gang!"

"Long live the Leader, unify the martial world!"

The earth-shattering sonic wave even stirred up rolling dust on the ground, covering Xiao Wanfeng and Su Qianqian in a bewildered expression.

Su Qianqian: ???

She watched this scene, her mouth twitching, unable to utter a word.

Young Xiao Wanfeng was completely stunned, gazing blankly at Grandma Mu, who was enjoying the cheers in the sky. He murmured in shock, "So... so cool..."

On the other side.

Jiang Xian: ???

Duo'er: ???

Tang Zheng: ???

Everyone was collectively dumbfounded.

A thousand people, digging their way from miles away, just for this spectacle?

Are they crazy!!!

Jiang Xian almost burst out cursing, but...

Wait!

Among these so-called "Xu Gang members," wasn't there one who looked somewhat familiar?

Jiang Xian struggled to identify him, faintly feeling that the white-clad fatty shouting loudest at the front had a familiar face...

"Rong... Rong Dahao?" he spoke, somewhat uncertainly.

The white-clad fatty's body suddenly trembled. He turned his head in disbelief, then, as if he had seen something terrifying, the fat on his face quivered violently.

"Damn it!"

He cursed, then hurriedly plastered more mud onto his face.

Finally, seemingly still not enough, he pulled out a mask from his ring and put it on tightly.

Jiang Xian was stunned.

It is Rong Dahao!

You are Rong Dahao!

Why are you hiding? You dare to shout, but you're afraid of seeing acquaintances?

No, that's not right... you weren't like this when you were with me. What happened to you? Were you coerced?

At this point, Jiang Xian even wanted to grab that white-clad fatty and give him a good beating.

However, in the center of the field, Mu Zixi, the "Leader of the Xu Gang," had already raised a single finger into the air.

The Xu Gang members' aura pulsed, and they roared in unison once more: "Are there any members of the First Floor Above Heavens present?"

No one responded...

Xiao Wanfeng, from below, meekly wanted to answer.

Mu Zixi completely ignored him and raised another finger.

Xu Gang members: "Are there any unofficial personnel of the Xu Gang present?"

Silence among the crowd...

Xiao Wanfeng again wanted to raise his hand.

Mu Zixi had already raised a third finger.

Xu Gang members: "Are there any who know Young Master Xu present?"

Complete silence...

Xiao Wanfeng also stopped moving.

He understood. His existence was not important.

The atmosphere in the field had already been chilled to the bone by these three roars.

Seeing no one respond, Mu Zixi's little face slightly pursed with satisfaction. Then she curled her three fingers into her palm and fiercely swung her small fist downwards.

Xu Gang members: "KILL!!!"