Chapter 926: Sang Lao's Scheme

On the Fourth Dragon Vein of the Yunlun Mountains.

Xu Xiaoshou finally rose from his prone position, patting the dirt off his beloved little skirt as he stood up, gazing with lingering fear at the meteor shower of treasures in the distance. Although it hadn't been long, he felt like he had been lying there for a century!

"What a spectacular show..." The Golden Dragon of Fortune from the Divine Sword Xuan Cang, the Grand Heaven's Mystery Array of the Half-Saint Dao Qiongcang, the arrows of the Evil Sin Bow spanning two domains from 'Love All Beings,' the remnant thought of the Saint Emperor, and the Black Dragon scales... And also! The Holy Slave Leader, Bazun An, who didn't even show his face but manipulated everything with ease!

"Too powerful." The peak combat power in this world is frighteningly strong. Xu Xiaoshou finished watching the battle, his heart still trembling. When truly faced with a peak battle, he, still in his nascent stage, didn't even have the right to partake in the fight. He hadn't been killed by the battle's aftermath, thanks to the combatants' diligent control, as they had no intention of harming innocents.

"Drunk on earthly waters, awake with immortals dancing..." The faint singing voice of Bazun An after the battle still lingered in his ears. Xu Xiaoshou stood dazed for a long time, unable to recover from his trance. He seemed to understand why Bazun An had so many fervent fans in the Eastern Region's Sword God Heaven, and even across the five domains of the continent. This kind of person, this unrestrained and free-spirited fighting style, this way of acting—leaving after the deed is done and retiring without seeking recognition—it's hard not to be attracted to such a person!

"This was his first true announcement of a comeback to the world since his 'fall,' and it was merely a tangential involvement." It's hard to imagine how arrogant Bazun An must have been at his peak, during that glorious era, when directly confronting others... Xu Xiaoshou gently sighed. When he recovered his senses, he saw about ten members of the Xu Gang around him also finishing their prostrate positions, which they had been forced into by the Holy Power. They stood up, dusting off their clothes. Everyone was still reeling from the battle in the sky. Everyone was still savoring the faint singing voice after the battle, unsure of its origin.

After a long while, a Xu Gang member, clutching his sword and looking excited, shrieked hysterically: "The Eighth Sword Immortal! This is definitely the Eighth Sword Immortal! He truly orchestrated this battle of saints!" Xu Xiaoshou turned his gaze. Without needing to ask, he knew this guy was undoubtedly one of Bazun An's fervent admirers. Several people nearby were also drawn by the voice and turned their heads.

They then heard the Xu Gang member passionately gesticulating and exclaiming: "Legend has it that in his youth, the Eighth Sword Immortal would compose a poem with every sword stroke, a verse with every step, encountering no rivals wherever he went! Such unrestrained, free-spirited, and wild poetry must be his work; he has returned!" The guy was so excited he wept tears of joy. As he spoke, he clutched his spirit sword and began to sob. "I knew it, I knew it! The Eighth Sword Immortal never fell! I've always believed he's still alive!" "Indeed, he's back! He's really back!" "Wuwuwu..."

Xu Xiaoshou watched in silence, somewhat unable to comprehend why a dignified man, a cultivator, would be so fanatical about someone he had never met, even caring about their life and death. Evidently, there was also someone nearby with similar thoughts, a formal cultivator from the Central Domain, who looked at the crying man covering his face and chuckled: "Why all this? We cultivators have no gods or Buddhas in our hearts; we only pursue the glorious holy path. Why would you...?"

"What the hell do you know?!" The swordsman gang member immediately interrupted, raising the sword he wore and angrily exclaimed: "When I was bullied in my clan, when my choice of swordsmanship was mocked, when I trained sleeplessly through the night and wanted to give up..." "It was precisely that line, 'A sword comes from the east, an immortal of the sword,' that supported me and encouraged me." "This is faith!" "You people, who grew up securely in large families and powerful organizations, understand nothing! What right do you have to judge me?!" His eyes were red, and his hair stood on end with fury.

The formal cultivator was stunned and somewhat awkwardly drew back, saying: "I apologize, I didn't know you had such a past..." The mountain suddenly fell silent.

Xu Xiaoshou continued to watch in silence. Suddenly, he gained another interpretation of the Eighth Sword Immortal's influence within the swordsman cultivation system, or perhaps among all 'disadvantaged groups' in this world. Perhaps, people like the swordsman gang member in front of him worshipped not just the name "Bazun An," but also the spirit of "unyielding resilience and the pursuit of freedom" that the name represented.

"What's your name?" Xu Xiaoshou suddenly asked. The swordsman, still wiping away tears, was startled by the question but quickly reacted, replying: "Reporting to Gang Leader Mu, my name is Li Yan." "Li Yan..." Xu Xiaoshou murmured, then walked over with a smile, stood on tiptoes, and patted his shoulder. "Li Yan, keep going! Others might not believe in you, but I do. The power of faith is infinite!"

Li Yan was stunned for a moment. With a surge of spiritual energy, his tears dried, and he lowered his head, saying, "Thank you..." Xu Xiaoshou no longer looked at him, turning his gaze back to the sky. The meteor shower descended, scattering seeds of hope across the sky. The hurried figure in red still circled back and forth above the Yunlun Mountains, continuously intercepting, even if unable to form a coherent formation. But there were always omissions, allowing these treasures to fall onto this trial ground within the Yunlun Mountains.

"How many more Li Yans are there in this world?" Xu Xiaoshou thought with a sigh, then shook his head, clearing away stray thoughts, and returned to the main business. The red-clad figures could not stop Bazun An's final torrent of treasures. Among them was the demonic sword, Myriad Weapon Demon Lord, which had vanished into invisibility with the Holy Emperor's power. As expected, there was also the legendary "Saint Origin Crystal," the Root of Sanctification—words directly from Bazun An.

Since these treasures could potentially land in the Yunlun Mountains and they had no owners, the trial participants would undoubtedly search for them frantically. So why should he stay alone in this empty mountain and miss this opportunity?

"This wave of treasures will definitely buy a lot of time, preventing Rao Yaoyao from diverting her attention to continue pursuing the murderer of the 'heterogeneous.' And the red-clad figures also fear these treasures falling into the hands of dark forces, creating formidable enemies for themselves, especially the 'Saint Origin Crystal'..." Xu Xiaoshou thought. He didn't know why the "Saint Origin Crystal" was prefixed with "Root of Sanctification" in Bazun An's original words. Perhaps this item was almost equivalent to a "Holy Foundation of Sanctification"? But not understanding didn't mean he wasn't tempted. After all, this was a treasure specifically mentioned by Bazun An himself, placed alongside the demonic sword, Myriad Weapon Demon Lord. And at present... "The fated shall obtain it!"

Xu Xiaoshou was about to order his group to go treasure hunting, to further stir the muddy waters amidst the chaos. Just then. "Beep." The trial jade pendant chimed. Xu Xiaoshou's brows furrowed. He pulled out the pendant and saw the latest notification:

"The Contest of the Nine Dragon Veins: Second Mission Issued." "Find treasures containing Holy Power scattered throughout the Yunlun Mountains. Submit them via the trial jade pendant. Each submitted treasure earns 100,000 points." "Additionally: Submitting the 'Saint Origin Crystal' treasure earns 100,000,000 points; submitting the 'Demonic Sword: Myriad Weapon Demon Lord' earns 100,000,000 points." The information was brief and clear. Xu Xiaoshou stared in astonishment. "This speed..." "It's just too fast!"

The red-clad figures lacked manpower, so they directly made "treasure hunting" a part of the trial itself, using the Yunlun Mountains' participants to search for treasures for them? But could it work? A Xu Gang member beside him, after reading the message, scoffed and said: "This is truly shameless! 100,000 points? Which is more important, 100,000 points or a treasure containing Holy Power?" "Yes, but those two 100,000,000-point rewards at the end make my head spin. If I really found them and couldn't protect those treasures, I might genuinely choose to submit them immediately..." another person added. Hearing this, Xu Xiaoshou narrowed his eyes.

The Xu Gang members hadn't witnessed the entire saintly confrontation clearly, so they didn't know that "treasures containing Holy Power" weren't "saint-tier treasures," but merely "spiritual artifacts, spiritual pills, etc., covered with a layer of Holy Power." Therefore, once these people find the treasures and understand the truth, they might genuinely be forced to submit them due to the accelerated trial progress and the allure of a "Holy Palace trial spot." If their strength is insufficient, even if they obtain a treasure, there are generally only a few outcomes: First, being robbed by others. Second, later surrendering it to their clan. Third, being discovered by law enforcement officers and forced to submit it for points.

In this way, why not immediately exchange the treasure for the most needed points at the current stage, submit one, and then immediately search for the next? Even if they get the "Saint Origin Crystal" and the "Demonic Sword," who among the Yunlun Mountains trial participants could guard them? Either they would be stolen by infiltrators, or constantly change hands among powerful individuals, only to be discovered by law enforcement officers and again forcibly submitted...

"How dirty!" "This wave of 'treasure hunting' missions is truly quite dirty!" Xu Xiaoshou could almost see the red-clad figures' true intention behind this mission. Because every normal trial participant has a trial jade pendant, and this item might be the source of the Cloud Realm's monitoring of everyone.

"What a move!" Xu Xiaoshou couldn't help but marvel at the minds of the red-clad higher-ups. How sharp must they be to devise such a strategy, almost a 'transparent scheme,' in such a short time? Regardless, since the trial jade pendant issued a mission, transforming treasure hunting from a private matter into a grand public affair, Xu Xiaoshou couldn't continue to idly guard the empty mountain.

"Everyone, listen to my command!" He adopted the aura of Gang Leader Mu, instantly causing the dozen or so Xu Gang members around him to stand at attention and shout in unison, "Present!" "Descend the mountain immediately and search for treasures containing Holy Power! Once found, submit them to me first. Then, depending on the circumstances, your contributions will be recorded, and you'll receive whatever you desire most!" Xu Xiaoshou declared loudly. He paused, then chuckled mischievously: "Of course, you can also choose to keep them hidden, although that might attract the attention of the law enforcement officers." "We wouldn't dare..." "Gang Leader, have mercy! We absolutely wouldn't dare!" The Xu Gang members immediately waved their hands frantically, frightened into incoherent speech. They did have thoughts of hiding them, but now that it was exposed, their courage faltered, for Gang Leader Mu was indeed quite the "devil."

Xu Xiaoshou wasn't interested in how many "treasures containing Holy Power" there were; he only cared about the "Saint Origin Crystal" and the "Demonic Sword." It was foreseeable that with all the Yunlun Mountains trial participants searching, it wouldn't take days... perhaps not even half a day, for these major items to surface one by one. "Let's go!"

Near the Ninth Dragon Vein in the core region. Ye Xiaotian, appearing as a short, white-haired young man, drifted slowly along the mountain path like a ghost. "Saint Origin Crystal..." His eyes held a sharp gleam, expressing disbelief, as he unconsciously murmured the familiar term that had come from Bazun An's mouth.

Ye Xiaotian remembered the purpose of his arrival in the Yunlun Mountains as an infiltrator. He also remembered that even though Elder Sang's letter had been shredded, the few elegant and neatly written lines within it were: "Night is falling, dawn has yet to arrive." "Amidst the grand currents, how can one transcend?" "My Holy Slaves, your spatial powers." "As long as the Ember Illumination persists, the Path cannot be severed." "Yunlun Mountains, Saint Origin Crystal." "Yunlun Mountains, Saint Origin Crystal... The last sentence, the last phrase, was exactly the same as what Bazun An had uttered!"

"Old Man Sang..." Ye Xiaotian shook his head repeatedly, his eyes flickering, as he looked back at the sky, seemingly seeing the earlier scene of the black dragon coiling and the saints clashing. He sighed, his thoughts filled with shock: "Old Man Sang, how dare you join forces with such beings? They could probably swallow you whole, bones and all!" "Demon Emperor Black Dragon, Eighth Sword Immortal... are any of them easy to provoke?" "They're directly confronting the Holy Divine Palace; how could you dare get involved in such matters!"

Ye Xiaotian subconsciously still used his impression of Sang Qiye of the Holy Palace, the Vice Dean of the Tiansang Spirit Palace, to gauge his old friend. However, upon second thought, his old friend had another notorious title. "Holy Slave's Second-in-Command, Sleeveless!" Thus, Ye Xiaotian fell silent.

Then, recalling when he received Old Man Sang's paper letter, and remembering the news of the Holy Slave's second-in-command being apprehended by the Holy Divine Palace during the White Cave battle... By the time of the White Cave, Old Man Sang was already gone. Yet, the letter clearly still bore the eight characters: "Yunlun Mountains, Saint Origin Crystal." How far in advance was this calculated? In the end, it actually came true!

Ye Xiaotian vaguely seemed to see Old Man Sang gleefully cackling in front of him. His eye twitched slightly, and he replaced the last complaining thought in his mind. "How dare you lead such things? If you want to die, you don't have to go to such lengths!"

However, having come to the Yunlun Mountains and stepped into the center of this vortex, it was difficult for Ye Xiaotian to extricate himself. Moreover, this was Old Man Sang's final request. Honestly, Ye Xiaotian didn't want to actively withdraw. "So, where would the Saint Origin Crystal be?" Ye Xiaotian pondered.

He thought: since Old Man Sang was Sleeveless of the Holy Slaves, and the Holy Slave Leader was suspected to be Bazun An, who seemed to have a connection to the Void Island, then the clash between Demon Emperor Black Dragon and Dao Qiongcang must have been orchestrated by him. So, as half an "insider," Old Man Sang, wanting him to help obtain the Saint Origin Crystal, should have left some kind of clue, allowing him to get the target faster than all other infiltrators, so quickly that even the red-clad figures wouldn't react in time. But clues... Ye Xiaotian thought, falling into hesitation. Were there any? There were none at all!

Other than the four characters "Saint Origin Crystal" mentioned in Old Man Sang's letter, he had no other clues whatsoever. "Damn old man, you didn't leave the most crucial information. Are you intentionally making things difficult for me?" Ye Xiaotian cursed inwardly. He was a dignified person, formerly a disciple of the Holy Palace. Even after entering the Yunlun Mountains, he intended to avoid exposure if possible. If he were to extensively display his spatial abilities and search the entire Yunlun Mountains, Rao Yaoyao could probably appear before him with her sword in three breaths. But if he didn't search that way... If he was slow, he might have to risk exposure later to seize the "Saint Origin Crystal" that others had already discovered.

"Damn it!" Ye Xiaotian cursed again, gritting his teeth, deciding that no matter what, he couldn't easily abandon Old Man Sang's last request. He swiped his hand through the void, and space transformed into a mirror, with shimmering light beginning to flow. However, just then.

"Whoosh." A faint whooshing sound interrupted Ye Xiaotian's movements. He turned his head to look and saw a crystal-clear, fist-sized hexagonal crystal, glowing with a faint holy light, flying towards him from a distance.

Ye Xiaotian: ??? I don't need to look for it? It's looking for me?

Soon, he recovered from his dazed state, because right after the hexagonal crystal, anxious human shouts followed: "Stop it!" "Damn it, that's a Holy Power treasure, worth 100,000 points! Brothers, charge! Hey... is there someone up ahead?" "Hey! Shorty up ahead, help me stop that treasure! Don't submit it, and I'll give you 50,000 points!"