Chapter 944: Saint Palace Four Sons, Qiao Xiao Ye Sang

Ye Xiaotian was unsurprised by Xu Xiaoshou's reaction and spoke calmly.

"Ah Jie is a Heavenly Secret Puppet. He has been Elder Qiao's research subject for decades, but more importantly, he is Elder Qiao's closest companion. You should understand the depth of affection and care a Spirit Array Master, truly devoted to the art of spirit arrays, would feel for a sentient Heavenly Secret Puppet. It's like... his own child."

Ye Xiaotian paused, a faint smile playing on his lips. Perhaps Xu Xiaoshou couldn't fully grasp the depth of what he was saying. However, as Qiao Qianzhi's friend, Ye Xiaotian knew that Qiao Qianzhi's affection for Ah Jie was no less than Xu Xiaoshou's; in fact, it might even be greater. After all, an old man with no children of his own had spent most of his life with Ah Jie. How could he not have developed deep feelings?

Seeing no reaction from Xu Xiaoshou, Ye Xiaotian continued, "Actually, from the moment you encountered Ah Jie at Tianxuan Gate, Elder Qiao knew. But he didn't stop you from bringing it out; this was part of his research strategy. We are exploring a possibility: is there a way to 'establish a bond' that could make Ah Jie, the first-generation Heavenly Secret Puppet—a puppet that, due to loss of control, only knew violent slaughter and was therefore cast away to Void Island—controllable through emotional connection?

"This is something Elder Qiao attempted for decades without success. Although he cherishes Ah Jie, it's undeniable that his experiments, to some extent, harmed Ah Jie... well, it was unavoidable. And because of this, it has become very difficult for Elder Qiao to interact normally with Ah Jie."

Ye Xiaotian suddenly changed his tone, gazing deeply at Xu Xiaoshou. He said, "Fortunately, you succeeded. You've formed a deep bond with Ah Jie."

"Mama..."

Just then, an unexpected sound emerged. Xu Xiaoshou's chest vibrated, and the iron ball inside glowed red. Sensing a dispute between the two parties present, Ah Jie prepared for battle. Knowing he could no longer hide it, Xu Xiaoshou reached out to soothe Ah Jie, conveying a sense of calm and indicating that the person in front was not an enemy and that there was still room for discussion.

Ye Xiaotian's gaze dropped, sweeping towards Xu Xiaoshou's embrace, but he made no move to snatch it. Instead, he calmly met Xu Xiaoshou's eyes, which held a probing look. He treated Xu Xiaoshou as an equal, disregarding the senior-junior dynamic that Xu Xiaoshou's earlier address of "Dean" implied, and made no attempt to exploit it to pressure him. On the contrary, Ye Xiaotian highly respected Xu Xiaoshou's choice and only offered a reasonable degree of persuasion. He understood Xu Xiaoshou's feelings for Ah Jie, but at the same time, he believed that if Xu Xiaoshou calmed down, he would understand that his persuasion would be more beneficial to Ah Jie.

Xu Xiaoshou remained silent, his fingers gently caressing the iron ball in his embrace, his eyes showing some hesitation. He also perceived the Dean's sincerity. Moreover, from what he knew of Elder Qiao, who treated all outer court disciples like his own children—though he was a bit greedy for money on weekdays—his character and integrity were beyond reproach. The people of Tiansang Spirit Palace all had their minor flaws: Elder Sang's gloomy obsessiveness, Elder Qiao's slight avarice, Ye Xiaotian's height... But in truth, they were all good people.

After a moment of contemplation, Xu Xiaoshou made his decision and became resolute. Without averting his gaze, he shook his head and continued to refuse: "To you, Ah Jie is a test subject; to me, he is a companion. Ah Jie's past has been tragic enough. Now, I won't allow him to suffer any more harm, not one bit!"

The "harm" here didn't refer to injuries from battle but to man-made damage resulting from research. For instance, the harm caused when Ah Jie was first created—Xu Xiaoshou didn't know the specifics but could imagine the damage from being captured and repeatedly modified due to loss of control. Or, if Ah Jie were to return to Elder Qiao's hands, the possible dissections, modifications, and further "slicing" research he might face. Xu Xiaoshou greatly feared this kind of "research." This was because he had a "Passive System" in his mind. From the moment he acquired it at Tiansang Spirit Palace, he had always worried about being captured and "sliced up" for research due to his rapidly advancing cultivation. Later, even knowing that no matter how fast his cultivation progressed, there was always Bazun An suppressing him, he felt completely relieved. But this certainly didn't mean he had lost his fear of being "researched." If even he feared such a terrifying prospect, how could Ah Jie, who was still like a baby, endure it? Because of this, Xu Xiaoshou was resolute, clutching the iron ball in his arms, utterly unwilling to let go.

"You wouldn't harm Ah Jie, and neither would we..." Ye Xiaotian could see Xu Xiaoshou's genuine emotion and knew that his words weren't merely an excuse to keep Ah Jie as a powerful combat tool. He was happy that Ah Jie had found such a true master, and relieved that Xu Xiaoshou, even after joining the Holy Slaves, hadn't forgotten his original intentions. A slight smile formed on his lips as he said, "Xu Xiaoshou, your current thinking is as stubbornly biased as your master's. The situation now is that your companion is sick, has been for decades without a cure, and could have an onset of symptoms at any moment. And now, there's someone who has spent decades, solely to master a specific healing skill, and who possesses the solution to completely cure your companion's illness. Curing illnesses and saving lives never comes with a hundred percent guarantee. But as your companion's only friend, can you truly bear to let this opportunity pass?"

Ye Xiaotian's tone gradually intensified, as if he were lecturing an inner court disciple, but he quickly realized that Xu Xiaoshou no longer belonged to Tiansang Spirit Palace. His final sentence softened, accompanied by a sigh: "You are Xu Xiaoshou, not Ah Jie himself. What right do you have to prevent Ah Jie from becoming a normal being?"

This gentle final remark, however, struck Xu Xiaoshou's mind like a sudden clap of thunder. Xu Xiaoshou was somewhat swayed. The Dean's words were not without reason. Ah Jie was like a child with a congenital defect, and his symptoms were almost incurable. Yet, even so, there was still a doctor in this world willing to spend decades researching the condition, striving to find the right cure. Was this a bad thing? No! This was Ah Jie's good fortune!

Yet, even knowing all this, Xu Xiaoshou didn't lose his composure. He knew that if Palace Master Dao could have healed Ah Jie, Ah Jie wouldn't have ended up in his hands. But if even the unfathomable Dao Qiongcang couldn't cure Ah Jie, who else in this world would dare claim they could truly provide a complete cure?

"Elder Qiao... what's his chance of success?" Xu Xiaoshou closed his eyes, his voice barely a whisper, almost inaudible.

"He didn't say, and I didn't ask... But I trust him, just as your master trusts me. You can trust what your master trusts," Ye Xiaotian replied candidly.

Xu Xiaoshou couldn't leave Ah Jie's fate to chance; he desperately needed a definite answer. "Thirty percent? Fifty percent?"

Ye Xiaotian sighed, not directly answering: "If successful, Ah Jie could potentially reach the Half-Saint realm. If it fails, he could be injured, die, or be crippled, at best remaining as he is now."

"How can I hand Ah Jie over to you with those odds!" Xu Xiaoshou burst out angrily. Reaching Half-Saint if successful... That sounded promising, but even Palace Master Dao couldn't achieve that, could he? Could Elder Qiao? Such immense potential gain was inevitably accompanied by an unbearable risk of failure. If it truly failed... Xu Xiaoshou dared not think further. At that moment, he even wanted to slap Ye Xiaotian away and stride off; he felt Ye Xiaotian was joking!

Ye Xiaotian took a deep breath, his expression grave. He knew that complete honesty was detrimental to the outcome. Perhaps at this moment, if he had been a little more indirect and just said "seventy percent" or "ninety percent," Xu Xiaoshou would have handed over Ah Jie without a word. But Ye Xiaotian wouldn't do that; he disdained such tactics.

"Xu Xiaoshou, perhaps you only know a tiny fraction about your master, and even less about Tiansang Spirit Palace and the elders you've met before," Ye Xiaotian sighed.

"Dean, just say what you mean," Xu Xiaoshou said, his tone losing its usual respect. He became wary, knowing that the Dean might now try to talk his way around him.

Ye Xiaotian didn't rebuke him; he simply smiled and made a startling announcement: "Your master, Old Qiao, Old Xiao, and I... we all came from the Holy Palace."

Xu Xiaoshou's eyebrows twitched, but he maintained a calm demeanor. "So?"

Ye Xiaotian remained unperturbed and continued, "What does the Holy Palace signify? Simply put, it means after you pass the Imperial City trial and rank among the top thirty-six, you'd then have to undergo another continent-level selection. Only from this 'gold-panning' process, picking out the absolute elite of the elite, would you qualify to enter the Holy Palace. And even that is merely the basic qualification. The legacy within the Holy Palace has not been broken. There are even more exceptional geniuses and prodigies inside, capable of making newcomers feel utterly inadequate, leading them to feel depressed for years and then powerless to catch up." Ye Xiaotian suddenly paused, a glint in his eyes, and emphatically declared: "Yet, at that time, the four of us were known as the strongest among the Holy Palace's younger generation... the Four Holy Sons: Qiao, Xiao, Ye, and Sang!"

The Four Holy Sons? Qiao, Xiao, Ye, Sang? Xu Xiaoshou couldn't maintain his composure and was somewhat astonished. It was the first time he had heard this term, but from the Dean's explanation, he could already imagine what kind of title it was. Previously, when Elder Sang gradually revealed his strength and Xu Xiaoshou later learned he was from the Holy Palace's Jinyang lineage, Xu Xiaoshou already found Tiansang Spirit Palace somewhat formidable, believing it concealed considerable power. Then, Ye Xiaotian demonstrated spatial attributes, and Xu Xiaoshou thought it was merely "something special under normal circumstances." But having entered the jianghu and witnessed so many Thrones and Path-Slayers, Xu Xiaoshou now understood the implications of spatial attributes, not to mention Ye Xiaotian had comprehended "Spatial Profundity," putting him on par with the Chief of the Spirit Division. At this point, he felt Tiansang Spirit Palace was even more terrifying. However, he never expected that the unremarkable Elder Qiao and the unassuming Xiao Qixiu were on the same level as Elder Sang and Ye Xiaotian within the Holy Palace. The highest level... the Four Holy Sons?

Xu Xiaoshou felt as if he were listening to a fantasy story, one that was highly unreal. He remained silent, just staring, quietly waiting for Ye Xiaotian to continue.

Ye Xiaotian gave the "ignorant young man" enough time to compose himself, then continued: "In the Holy Palace, your master had the fiercest temper, while I had the best self-restraint. But in terms of talent, Elder Qiao was the strongest. In terms of tactics and combat power... your Elder Xiao, at that time, held the title 'Butcher of Ten Thousand Men.' The three of us were the ones who had to clean up his messes, so to speak."

This crude description left Xu Xiaoshou completely stunned. This... this didn't make sense! Xiao Qixiu, the Butcher of Ten Thousand Men? Xu Xiaoshou vaguely recalled the night at the Spirit Palace when Elder Xiao stabbed Bazun An with a sword, only to be pierced through the chest himself, nearly losing his life. That was the only time he had an impression of Xiao Qixiu making a move. It must be said that it was precisely that incident that made him feel Elder Xiao was... very, uh, somewhat ordinary!

"Heh heh, do you also remember that sword strike?" Ye Xiaotian, as if reading Xu Xiaoshou's thoughts, chuckled and said, "Actually, there's no need to have such high expectations for your Elder Xiao, because that night, Bazun An also severed my arm."

Xu Xiaoshou suddenly sobered up. That was Bazun An! Even the Dean at that time couldn't defeat him, and Elder Sang couldn't hold him back, let alone Xiao Qixiu. Just as he was thinking this, Ye Xiaotian continued: "But everything you didn't understand back then, you should be able to grasp a little now. Bazun An is very arrogant. In this world, normally, no one who dares to point a sword at him survives. Hmm, Xiao Qixiu survived... I know that sounds weak, but Bazun An is, after all, an extraordinary prodigy, comparable to the most formidable elders. You can carefully consider his choice; what did it truly signify?"

Xu Xiaoshou was bewildered. He then thought of Su Qianqian's family, who had all died to defend the Dao. Yes, why did Elder Xiao survive that time? Was it because of something special about him? What made him special? The Holy Palace produced nothing but geniuses; was it because Bazun An cherished talent? So, did Elder Xiao possess some unique talent that he hadn't discovered? Xu Xiaoshou thought and thought, still puzzled.

Ye Xiaotian didn't elaborate much on Xiao Qixiu, as he was merely a contrasting figure for his point. He paused briefly, then continued: "Leaving aside the digression, among the Four Holy Sons, the one with the strongest talent wasn't the three of us, but your Elder Qiao. At that time, Qiao Qianzhi's talent was so extraordinary that it almost rivaled that of the Eighth Sword Immortal. Yet, after breaking through to the Throne realm, he made a crazy decision... He decided to become a pure Spirit Array Master!"

Xu Xiaoshou was momentarily stunned, then quickly understood, realizing this was indeed a decision madmen would make. By this point, he already considered the "Spirit Palace F4" to be insane, the truly abnormal kind. Furthermore, he could already conclude that Elder Qiao's definition of a "Spirit Array Master" was, in all likelihood, not a "Spirit Array Master" in the conventional sense.

At this point, Ye Xiaotian looked a bit helpless, shrugging slightly as he said, "Qiao Qianzhi believed that in this world, 'diagrams'—or 'array diagrams'—are the external manifestation of all things. 'Runes'—you can provisionally understand them as simple 'spirit runes' or 'Dao runes'—'runes' are the internal forms of all things. And the abstract spiritual will possessed by humans has the ability to change, or even create, 'diagrams' through 'runes,' thereby 'materializing abstract concepts.' In short, it's about turning 'fantasy' into 'reality.'"