Chapter 907: Performance of the Emperor in Progress

"You're dreaming!" Luo Yin retorted angrily, without a hint of politeness. As a successor of the Void, how could he possibly submit to others simply because of the lives and deaths of his fellow trial participants around him?

Though they were all "brothers," the nature of that relationship had changed after that pat on the shoulder just now. Luo Yin faced reality. These "brothers" were, in the end, merely companions in adversity forged in the Cloud-Lun Mountains. For these people, Luo Yin could choose to forgo some benefits, but that was only because a Void successor was magnanimous, well-mannered, and polite. But to directly submit to someone else... Sorry. Luo Yin couldn't do it!

Xu Xiaoshou had already anticipated Luo Yin's answer. Successors of the Void certainly had dignity; Rong Dahao was one example. But dignity, like many things, could be beaten out of someone, as was the case with Rong Dahao... Besides, while others couldn't subdue a Void successor, with Young Master Xu's identity as a "Semi-Saint successor" here, having one more Void successor under his command wasn't excessive, was it?

"Don't be so quick to refuse." Xu Xiaoshou landed on the mountaintop, adjusted her dress, and directly stated, "My Xu Gang's ambition isn't merely the Fourth Dragon Vein, but to become the 'Master of Nine Dragons.' Your aptitude is excellent. If Young Master Xu himself were here, given your past grievances, it's likely he'd simply send you out of the Cloud-Lun Mountains."

"But I'm different!" As Xu Xiaoshou spoke, her tone became more arrogant. Pacing, she continued, "Though we fought in the Heavenly Net Battle, I greatly admire your abilities. As the saying goes, 'You don't know a man till you've fought him,' and I rarely hold grudges..."

"So, join my Xu Gang, come under my command, and I'll help you secure a position as a Dragon Guard. You know what the Eight Dragon Guards under the 'Master of Nine Dragons' signify, don't you?" Xu Xiaoshou walked leisurely, her words brimming with confidence. This was only the first battle for the Nine Dragon Veins, yet her words made it seem as if she already stood at the pinnacle, beginning to dominate the situation.

Luo Yin pondered. He had to admit, he was genuinely swayed by her words. He had attacked the mountain all night, fighting desperately. Because he had no one to rely on, he was exhausted, and in the end, his hard-won achievements were forcefully taken from him. The Xu Gang was different. The Xu Gang commanded over a thousand people, holding the esteemed position of the Cloud-Lun Mountains' top power, unstoppable wherever they went. Moreover, the two leaders of the Xu Gang — Young Master Xu and the 'Mu Xiaogong' before him — were both far from rigid or impractical.

Look! When they attacked the mountain, it was with strategy. A single poisonous assault, at minimal cost, achieved the greatest victory. Considering it from their perspective, Luo Yin had to admit that the members of the Xu Gang were all highly talented. In contrast, his own brute-force assault on the mountain was the most inferior approach.

"You still have time to think, but your brothers might not be able to wait much longer," Xu Xiaoshou casually applied pressure. Luo Yin turned his gaze to his brothers around him. Not much time had passed, only a few exchanges, but the number of people on the mountaintop had already sharply decreased by half due to the poison. But this, after all, had nothing to do with him! Luo Yin gritted his back teeth, his thoughts returning to the crucial point of his struggle — freedom. He felt indignant.

However, the 'Mu Xiaogong' opposite him had attacked the mountain and struck at his heart. After her speech, he couldn't find any openings and was at a loss as to how to respond. He fell silent.

Seeing this, Xu Xiaoshou moved back, and finally said, "I know you Void successors care about face. Don't worry, my Xu Gang members will come later, but your joining won't be widely publicized. We'll definitely save your face, and even if Young Master Xu arrives, I guarantee he'll treat you with utmost courtesy." Luo Yin didn't care about any of that. If he truly joined the Xu Gang, would he be afraid of others gossiping? A Void successor working for a Semi-Saint successor was frustrating, but it wasn't a loss of face. What Luo Yin cared about was freedom!

He thought for a moment, deciding to try one last negotiation: "I can agree to your terms, but..."

"No 'buts'!" Xu Xiaoshou decisively waved her hand, cutting him off instantly. She moved back further, pointing at Luo Yin's darkened pants, and said, "If you don't agree, unless you kill me, the moment we leave the Cloud-Lun Mountains, I'll announce to the world that you, Luo Yin, pooped your pants in the Cloud-Lun Mountains!"

Luo Yin: ???

At this, veins bulged on his forehead. "You... shameless!" After a long pause, Luo Yin could only manage that one insult. He was stunned. During their previous encounter, he hadn't seen 'Mu Xiaogong' be so sharp-tongued. What was happening now? Not only had this little girl become eloquent, but she was also full of cunning tricks, even capable of uttering such a vulgar threat as "pooping your pants"? Yet, it was surprisingly... effective!

"I'll give you three breaths to consider." Xu Xiaoshou cautiously maintained her distance to prevent a sudden attack, then began to count. "Three..."

"I agree!" Luo Yin gave up resisting, his confidence completely deflated. He knew that if he so much as touched 'Mu Xiaogong,' the Xu Gang army would surely charge forward. That wasn't important. What was important was that Young Master Xu alone could contend with a thousand soldiers. If that person arrived, Luo Yin would certainly be unable to resist! Rather than fighting a losing battle, it was better to be pragmatic. 'Mu Xiaogong' had a point. A Void successor serving under a Semi-Saint successor wasn't demeaning. Moreover, Young Master Xu aimed to become the "Master of Nine Dragons." With Luo Yin's abilities, within the Xu Gang, he could at least secure the title of "Dragon Master" for one of the other dragon veins. Resisting would yield nothing. Complying would bring greater rewards. Although his freedom might be temporarily lost, this was only during the Royal City trial. Once outside the Cloud-Lun Mountains, the world was vast, and no one could restrain him.

Luo Yin wasn't foolish. The moment 'Mu Xiaogong' delivered her final threat, he knew he had no further chance to stubbornly resist. The other party had completely cornered him.

"I must say, you've made a very smart decision!" Xu Xiaoshou was pleased. With another great general recruited, his journey to become the "Master of Nine Dragons" was now even more secure. The Xu Gang's pursuit of the "Master of Nine Dragons" would undoubtedly involve many actions. And as long as the Xu Gang was active, for those from Void Island, Red Guard, and the Saint Slaves, Young Master Xu and 'Mu Xiaogong' would have alibis. Furthermore, during the Xu Gang's campaigns, Xu Xiaoshou could use the opportune moments to coordinate with Saint Slave operations and respond to any major moves from the Red Guard following the anomaly deaths.

After Luo Yin agreed, he stopped considering other options. Pointing to everyone around him, he said, "Quickly, detoxify them!" Xu Xiaoshou snapped back to attention and nodded gently. Detoxing was difficult for others, but much easier for her. She clapped her small hands. "Little Tree, transform!"

With a ripple, she transformed. Xu Xiaoshou turned into a towering ancient tree. Its branches served as her arms, extending like elongated limbs. In an instant, countless tendrils spread out, piercing into the bodies of the poisoned individuals still gasping for air on the mountaintop. "Hiss!" Her breathing technique shifted. The terrifying toxic energy, including each person's spiritual essence and a portion of their life force, was all absorbed into Xu Xiaoshou's body. "Burp." The "Conversion" ability activated. The poison transformed into a wonderful energy, and the ancient tree let out a sudden, long burp of satisfaction. Then, the ancient tree, Xu Xiaoshou's transformed body, convulsed violently, as if experiencing something incredibly pleasurable. Its canopy grew even greener, a lush, vibrant green. It was quite a while before the pleasant movements ceased...

Xu Xiaoshou reverted to her loli form, looking as if she had been beautifully nourished, her face flushed, and her life force aura remarkably vibrant. Phew, that was close. Thankfully, no one witnessed the embarrassing pleasure she felt from absorbing life force earlier; otherwise, it would have been no less mortifying than someone pooping their pants on the Fourth Dragon Vein. Luo Yin quickly rushed to one of his brothers nearby to verify and found that while the toxic energy in this person's body was gone, their spiritual essence was also depleted, and more than half of their life force had been drained.

"You absorbed life force too?" he glared.

Xu Xiaoshou, with an innocent expression, spread her hands. "What can I do? This is the only method I have. Or would you like to provide elixirs to replenish their life force?" The characteristic of the Devouring Life Wood body was that it would absorb life force. Tearxi had already told Xu Xiaoshou about this in the Yuan Mansion world. Even if she hadn't, Xu Xiaoshou would have absorbed some to avoid exposure. Moreover, the imitator was mimicking Mu Zixi herself; once absorption began, all types of energy would be drawn in, favoring excess over deficiency. To be able to restrain herself from draining everyone's life energy completely already showed Xu Xiaoshou's incredibly strong will.

Luo Yin was speechless. For a moment, he didn't know how to respond. If he had the resources to save hundreds of people on the mountain, why would he still be threatened?

"If you don't have money, don't talk so much nonsense. I've already done my best," Xu Xiaoshou muttered, then walked away, picking up her spatial ring and collecting the poisonous spirit herbs on the mountaintop into her Yuan Mansion world.

"Received Curse, Passive Value, 1."

"It stinks!" As she walked, Xu Xiaoshou immediately felt the devastation of the "central battlefield." A group of people around the Dragon Guard flags were simultaneously "poop-poop-pooping," and the discharge from their poisoning was incredibly foul. Xu Xiaoshou had to block her sense of smell. After pulling out all the poisonous plants, she thought that she would have to get the Xu Gang members to come up and clean the area later. Otherwise, anyone with a bit of mysophobia probably wouldn't be able to stay on this Fourth Dragon Vein. Let alone holding the mountain and having someone become the "Dragon Master" of such a 'fragrant' place.

She casually instructed a prominent Xu Gang member to call Young Master Xu, who was overseeing the overall situation at the base of the mountain, to come up and take over. After finishing all these minor tasks, Xu Xiaoshou looked back at Luo Yin.

"Dragon Guard flags!" She stared at the six flags on Luo Yin's back. Luo Yin unfastened the Dragon Guard flags and handed them over directly. Since he had already surrendered, there was no point in saying more. If the Dragon Master of the Fourth Dragon Vein couldn't be secured, then there would surely be other Dragon Masters for him to contend with next. Luo Yin didn't ask for anything else. Young Master Xu only needed to allocate him three to five hundred men, and conquering the other dragon veins would be no problem!

Xu Xiaoshou took the six Dragon Guard flags from Luo Yin, then gestured to him, and they went to the remaining two Dragon Guard flags. The two previous flag-pullers had been forced to stop their attempts by the poison gas attack, due to their "poop-poop-pooping" and other significant movements. Now, with just these two flags left on the mountaintop, the title of "Dragon Master" would be theirs. Within a quarter of an hour, with no one attacking, Xu Xiaoshou and Luo Yin each took a flag and pulled out all the Dragon Guard flags.

During this time, the majority of the Xu Gang had ascended the mountain, finished clearing the battlefield, and returned to encamp at the base and mid-slopes. Due to their large numbers, the Xu Gang's defensive line even extended hundreds of feet around the Fourth Dragon Vein, establishing various hidden outposts to prevent surprise attacks. All the original occupants of the mountaintop had recovered from their poisoned stupor and were gradually waking up. These individuals were all placed under Luo Yin's command. Luo Yin, in turn, naturally became the captain of another small squad within the Xu Gang.

Not a single person resisted. What a joke! With Young Master Xu present, who would dare to resist? After Xu Xiaoji ascended the mountain, wherever he went, he leveraged his formidable reputation, living a life of pure joy. The respectful shouts of "Young Master Xu" almost made him feel as if he were floating in bliss. After all eight Dragon Guard flags were pulled out, only one Dragon Master flag remained on the mountaintop.

Surrounding the Dragon Master flag were the core members of the Xu Gang: captains of various squads, Young Master Xu's two protectors, Young Master Xu (Xu Xiaoji), Luo Yin, and Mu Xiaogong (Xu Xiaoshou)... These individuals formed the members of the first "Dragon Master Meeting." The topic of the meeting was, naturally, who would claim this first Dragon Master flag. As for the "Master of Nine Dragons" candidacy, no one else dared to covet it. The only one truly qualified to contend with Young Master Xu was clearly the constantly mischievous Mu Xiaogong, Deputy Gang Leader Mu!

"Young Master Xu, this first Dragon Master flag should rightfully be yours." Seeing that no one dared to speak, Rong Dahao directly voiced, "The one who takes the first Dragon Master flag will assign the Eight Dragon Guards. Then, the Eight Dragon Guards will each lead their forces to contend for the Dragon Masters of the other dragon veins. When the time is right, Young Master Xu, you will become the 'Master of Nine Dragons.'" Everyone nodded.

The leaders of other factions in the Cloud-Lun Mountains probably wouldn't even dare to dream of the "Master of Nine Dragons" title. Yet, each core member of the Xu Gang subjectively believed that if Young Master Xu were to act, he would undoubtedly aim for the "Master of Nine Dragons" and nothing less. This level of confidence astonished Luo Yin, the new captain. The Xu Gang members were all incredibly arrogant...

Luo Yin dared not speak, watching the familiar face of Young Master Xu beside him, waiting for the latest instructions. Xu Xiaoji pondered, seemingly deep in thought, though his mind was actually blank. A blank mind didn't mean Xu Xiaoji couldn't act. He deliberated for a long time, until everyone became somewhat apprehensive, then turned to Mu Xiaogong: "Gang Leader Mu, what's your opinion?"

Xu Xiaoshou, without ceremony, put her hands on her hips and began to deliver her loli-style pronouncements: "If you want my opinion, I have only one thing to say... Tall trees catch the wind. Young Master Xu, you cannot be this Master of Nine Dragons! The dangers associated with the Master of Nine Dragons must be borne by someone else!" Everyone's eyebrows twitched wildly at her words. Gang Leader Mu was truly bold! It seemed she still resented the fact that Young Master Xu had usurped her position as gang leader, despite the Xu Gang being something she had personally built.

Yet, everyone knew that Young Master Xu doted on Gang Leader Mu, and in these Cloud-Lun Mountains, only Gang Leader Mu would likely dare to speak this way. Her intentions were as plain as day... Xu Xiaoji also smiled. But he feigned not understanding Xu Xiaoshou's unspoken meaning and asked again, "Then, according to your opinion, Gang Leader Mu, who should bear this risk?" An acting emperor was indeed an acting emperor.

Xu Xiaoji didn't know what Xu Xiaoshou's next move would be, so he simply handed over the initiative, letting Xu Xiaoshou decide within the flow of their act. After all, his current identity as Young Master Xu still had a special relationship with Xu Xiaoshou's identity as Mu Xiaogong, a relationship that needed to be rectified. Young Master Xu had clearly usurped Mu Xiaogong's position as gang leader, and evidently, he still felt a need to compensate her. Thus, as long as Xu Xiaoshou had a need, Young Master Xu could legitimately cede the "Master of Nine Dragons" position to Mu Xiaogong. If the act was performed well, even the Red Guard, who were constantly observing, wouldn't find any issues.

Xu Xiaoshou was playing Mu Xiaogong, a character who pretended to be naive, believing herself cunning, but whose schemes were transparent to all. Internally, however, Xu Xiaoshou was fully aware, yet she continued to feign ignorance. So, grinning foolishly, Mu Xiaogong, in Xu Xiaoshou's guise, imitated an old fox, looking at everyone present one by one: "Gentlemen, who do you think can shoulder this heavy responsibility?" Everyone present was a talent from the Five Domains; how could they not understand that Deputy Gang Leader Mu, unable to secure the position of Xu Gang Leader, was now eyeing the even grander title of "Master of Nine Dragons"?

"This heavy responsibility, I, Rong, find hard to bear," Rong Dahao chuckled, playing along with the seemingly foolish Gang Leader Mu, giving her an easy way out.

"I can't do it either," Xiao Jing followed suit.

"Me too," Zhao Xiu scratched his head, echoing.

"I can't..."

"Me neither..."

"Me too..."

Tai Xing, Mo Beibei, Xin Gugu, Liu Changqing, and everyone else, one by one, expressed that they were unfit for the heavy responsibility. This left Luo Yin dumbfounded. Was Mu Xiaogong the group's darling? Was her status within the Xu Gang really that high? Everyone, including Young Master Xu, had to give her face?

"I can't either," Luo Yin finally said, looking at Mu Xiaogong.

Xu Xiaoshou immediately beamed, like a simpleton. "Since none of you can do it, then this heavy responsibility, I suppose, only I can handle... I'm not afraid to tell you all: what you can't do, I can!" As the little girl persona, Xu Xiaoshou stood up, head held high and chest puffed out, though her chest remained flat.

"Mighty Gang Leader Mu!"

"Amazing Gang Leader Mu!"

"Gang Leader Mu is a dragon among humans, stunningly talented; we can't even hold a candle to her!" A chorus of flattery poured forth, and the little girl's face glowed with bliss.

Xu Xiaoji, however, knew that Xu Xiaoshou wanting to be the "Master of Nine Dragons" must have other reasons. So, playing into Young Master Xu's desire to compensate Mu Xiaogong, he waved his hand grandly. "In that case, Gang Leader Mu, you shall pull out this Dragon Master flag of the Fourth Dragon Vein!"