Chapter 953: One Strike, Instant Kill

An attack imbued with the power of the Great Void and righteous energy exploded with a bang, catching everyone off guard.

For Shouye, this was an intense outburst after reaching the peak of his suppression.

It began with the faint scent of a ghost beast Shouye accidentally caught at the entrance of Tiansang City Lord's Mansion, followed by Xu Xiaoshou's unexpected appearance, which led Shouye to let Xin Gugu go…

Then, in the back garden of the City Lord's Mansion—the sea of flowers—Shouye unexpectedly sensed the ghost beast's power. Again, Xu Xiaoshou appeared, and Shouye was tricked by his smooth talk, believing Xu Xiaoshou to be the great hero who vanquished the beast…

When the Blazing Python emerged from the White Cave, Shouye immediately detected it and once again encountered Xu Xiaoshou. This time, he finally decided to recruit him, even going so far as to give away ownership of the renowned sword Blazing Python.

On the Sword Departure Grassland in the White Cave, Shouye witnessed the terrible mental and physical damage inflicted by Saint Servant Sleeveless, who Xu Xiaoshou had transformed into after rejecting his offer.

Then, as the White Cave minor world collapsed, Shouye once again apprehended Xu Xiaoshou's true form, just barely missing the chance to arrest him. However, Xu Xiaoshou, who had rapidly grown stronger, escaped again, using skills like Vanishing Art and Teleportation.

So many unexpected turns!

Too many coincidences!

After all these encounters, Shouye had lost count of how many times Xu Xiaoshou had toyed with him.

He understood that their positions were different, and that it might be impossible to truly bring the prodigy Xu Xiaoshou—the one he admired—under his wing in the future.

Therefore, now!

When Xu Xiaoshou once again tried to transform into someone else and dared to mislead Rao Jianxian and hundreds of other enforcers right in front of him, Shouye could no longer tolerate it.

"So many opportunities presented themselves to me before, but I couldn't grasp them," he thought. "This last time, even if it means death, I will absolutely not let Xu Xiaoshou escape!"

This was Shouye's only thought at that moment.

The moment he unleashed the "Hand of Punishing Heaven," Shouye could see the confusion of the hundreds of enforcers behind him, Wang Dachui's hesitation, and Rao Jianxian's indecision.

But as an experienced individual, Shouye knew that no matter how perfect Xu Xiaoshou's disguise, he was only afraid of someone making a forceful move.

In essence, Xu Xiaoshou was merely a Grandmaster.

He had many bizarre tricks, but he was afraid of reckless people!

Shouye had played the role of a thinker too many times…

This time, he was willing to become the sword in Rao Jianxian's hand!

If he failed, he would have attacked the Head of the Deviant Division and deserved to die.

If he succeeded, Rao Jianxian wouldn't have to hesitate about whether the person before them was real, and Shouye would fulfill his wish of capturing Xu Xiaoshou.

Perhaps Xu Xiaoshou was stalling for time…

Perhaps Rao Jianxian was also waiting for a bigger fish to bite…

But Shouye feared the unexpected!

Xu Xiaoshou was too unpredictable; Shouye feared that if the boy kept talking, Rao Jianxian would lose his original judgment and actually believe his nonsense!

For this reason, what did it matter if a forceful move disrupted Rao Jianxian's potential plan?

"I have already tasted the bitterness of deception on your behalf many times," he thought. "There's no need for you to experience it yourselves…"

The Dark Domain swept across the area, sealing off everyone's six senses. In that instant, the "Hand of Punishing Heaven" descended from the sky, pressing directly towards Xu Xiaoshou's location.

Shouye's forceful move this time not only startled senior enforcers like Rao Yaoyao and Wang Dachui but also sent shivers down Xu Xiaoshou's spine.

"Brute!"

"This damned brute!"

Xu Xiaoshou was on the verge of cursing out loud.

Shouye was clearly a good person; he had cooperated with him so many times before, always acting as a "wise man." Why was he more impulsive than Wang Dachui this time, not even giving a sliver of a chance before making a forceful move?

The "Hand of Punishing Heaven" descended without question, suppressing him…

Xu Xiaoshou knew he no longer had time to think.

But his impersonation of Yi was merely a flash of inspiration, a desperate, last-ditch attempt to buy time.

That he had managed to achieve such a feat, plunging everyone into doubt and internal conflict, was already a huge surprise.

Xu Xiaoshou already had a second plan—a contingency for when his impersonation of Yi failed, and a backup for when he was attacked by a brute!

The "Hand of Punishing Heaven" descending from the sky contained the majestic power of the Great Void.

Although he didn't understand why Shouye, with his Path-Severing cultivation, could wield the power of the Great Void, there was no time to think now.

Xu Xiaoshou could sense auras of "vastness," "righteousness," and "evil-purging" from it. He understood that this Great Void power was unlike Yi's elusive "Primordial Ghost Qi."

This "righteous energy" was a purely offensive method, the most direct frontal output!

But at the same time, it was an energy attack… and Xu Xiaoshou only focused on weaknesses.

"Vanishing Art!"

The Dark Domain enveloped everyone, sealing off the six senses of all enforcers on the cliff.

Only Shouye could perceive Xu Xiaoshou's location; even Rao Yaoyao, caught off guard by Shouye's sudden move, couldn't detect any unusual activity within the domain.

This was precisely the opportunity Xu Xiaoshou saw.

After vanishing, he used "Step into Heaven" to change his position. But instead of avoiding Shouye's full-force attack, he directly confronted the "Hand of Punishing Heaven" descending from the sky!

As the dazzling pure white rapidly approached, it almost blinded Xu Xiaoshou.

However, with "Vanishing Art," he could see while remaining untouchable by the opponent's attacks, able to pass through any physical object or energy.

Xu Xiaoshou couldn't allow the "Hand of Punishing Heaven" to pass through him and strike Teardrop and Ye Xiaotian below.

While this strike might not kill Ye Xiaotian, it would certainly startle him into action, leading to a full-scale war erupting on Lone Sound Cliff.

Therefore, he had to take it upon himself to quickly resolve the battle.

"Feast!"

Without hesitation, Xu Xiaoshou manifested the awakened skill "Transformation" behind him—a monstrous red Taotie beast head capable of devouring any energy.

However…

In his vanished state, the Taotie beast head consumed a vast amount of Xu Xiaoshou's spiritual energy, yet like the "Vanishing Art" itself—which erased all traces from the world—it couldn't automatically attack the "Hand of Punishing Heaven" above his head.

"Partial Vanish!"

Xu Xiaoshou naturally hadn't overlooked this. He instead manifested just a tiny bit of skin on his finger.

This was less than one-tenth the size of a fingernail, ensuring no one would notice that a swallowing ability—one that Young Master Xu Deyue had once demonstrated—had appeared behind him while he was vanished.

But the mere appearance of this tiny bit of skin established a connection between his vanished state and the real world.

The large, drooping tongue of the Taotie beast head behind him twitched, as if it had smelled something incredibly delicious, and it lunged forward.

*Thwump.*

A huge mouthful was swallowed!

The dazzling pure white giant light hand was swallowed by a full one-third!

Xu Xiaoshou felt a surge of vast, pure energy pouring into his Qi Sea, instantly overflowing and filling all his meridians and cells.

He couldn't help but straighten his back, his eyes rolling back. He nearly lost consciousness from the sheer pleasure, all subsequent actions interrupted, as he let out an alluring, unseen groan.

"Ahhh…"

In the dark world, only Shouye, as the master of the domain, could see and hear.

But he saw the little girl Yi suddenly vanish beneath the Hand of Punishing Heaven, disappearing without a trace—exactly like Xu Xiaoshou's ability.

A moment later, a small, flesh-colored speck, whose origin was unknown, appeared beneath the "Hand of Punishing Heaven."

The very next second, the "Hand of Punishing Heaven" was torn open from the middle, as if a primeval behemoth had taken a huge bite out of it. The remaining Great Void power immediately spiraled out of control, and Shouye nearly suffered a backlash.

And that wasn't all!

The "Hand of Punishing Heaven" was inexplicably broken, and a man's groan suddenly echoed from the void—a groan of such exquisite pleasure that it instantly made Shouye feel numb.

What was going on?

At that moment, Shouye even thought of the Saint Servant Storyteller.

A significant reason he first used "righteous energy" against the Storyteller in the White Cave was that he couldn't stand the Storyteller's effeminate voice.

Now, the "Hand of Punishing Heaven" had reappeared, accompanied by such a terrifying groan.

Was this…

…a necessary accompaniment?

No!

He was getting sidetracked!

What ability did his opponent use to so easily break his "Hand of Punishing Heaven"?

This didn't seem like Xu Xiaoshou's ability at all…

"Disliked, Passive Point +1."

"Suspected, Passive Point +1."

Damn it!

Damn, damn, damn!

After shaking himself awake from that groan, Xu Xiaoshou almost dug a hole and buried himself.

What he hated even more was that "Feast" had never before consumed such vast and pure Great Void power, rendering him unable to anticipate how terrifying the aftermath would be, which is why he couldn't hold it in immediately.

With the "Breathing Method"'s adjustment—or rather, training—Xu Xiaoshou's endurance was already extraordinary.

But it was right after this extreme pleasure that, as soon as Xu Xiaoshou's consciousness recovered, he horrifyingly "sensed" that the Taotie beast head behind him, after its meal and a satisfied burp, wanted to "Feast" again!

"Noooo…"

Xu Xiaoshou's internal thought was that he absolutely dared not let it "swallow" again.

The energy directly converted from that single swallow had already almost burst his Qi Sea, threatening to make his body explode and kill him.

If it swallowed again, Xu Xiaoshou would "self-destruct" on Lone Sound Cliff even before Shouye could make another move.

While the thought of stopping it with his mind was good, by the time Xu Xiaoshou reacted and silently chanted to turn off this terrifying awakened skill…

"Feast" had already swallowed two consecutive mouthfuls!

*Thwump.*

*Thwump.*

Nothing unexpected happened.

The "Hand of Punishing Heaven," gradually disintegrating due to uncontrolled energy, transformed into pure feedback and returned to Xu Xiaoshou's abdomen.

"Breathing Method, Exhale!"

"Exhale, damn it!!!"

Xu Xiaoshou's eyes were bloodshot; he no longer closed his pores but instead fully opened them, violently expelling the excess power from his body.

The "Breathing Method" at Sovereign Lv.1 was normally suppressed by Xu Xiaoshou, keeping it in a "semi-closed state."

Otherwise, with a single breath, he would drain the surrounding spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

Furthermore, if he didn't constrict all his pores, a single step would cause the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to envelop him in a spiritual cocoon.

Now, no longer suppressing this basic passive skill, the "Breathing Method" was fully activated.

In an instant, the last two huge mouthfuls of refined spiritual energy that had surged into his body from "Feast" were immediately expelled through his skin.

*Whoosh.*

Xu Xiaoshou finally felt relieved, clearly noticing a thick layer of blood scab had formed on his skin.

This was the result of his skin cracking and bleeding due from the terrifying spiritual energy that had just surged into him; after the "Breathing Method" resolved the immediate crisis, Sovereign passive skills like "Life Cycle" and "Transformation" had instantly restored him to his original state.

Hmm, the injuries healed faster than expected…

And fighting while simultaneously farting from every pore? He figured he was probably the only one in the entire world doing that…

Xu Xiaoshou thought with lingering fear, his body already moving along its intended path, landing precisely where he wanted before making his move.

Pure Great Void energy, converted into spiritual energy, surged out, forming dense misty clouds in the void, and even condensing into fine spiritual liquid in an instant.

This spiritual liquid dripped down.

Shouye was stunned, suddenly feeling his cheeks grow damp.

He suddenly realized!

Although he didn't know how his opponent had dealt with the "Hand of Punishing Heaven," the surrounding anomalies were clearly reminding him…

The enemy was already right beside him!

He spun around.

In that instant, Shouye saw the little girl Yi, smiling playfully, right behind him. His pupils contracted sharply.

Yes, Xu Xiaoshou's speed was so extraordinary that after instantly dealing with the "Hand of Punishing Heaven," he landed directly behind Shouye, who was completely unprepared and still believed his attack would inflict significant damage on his foe!

"Senior," Xu Xiaoshou said, "I must apologize to you in advance.

"But you were the one who made the first move, so you can't blame me. After all, I still want to live…"

As Xu Xiaoshou spoke, he shifted his body to the left and lifted his right foot.

Shouye spun around suddenly, staring in horror at the little girl Yi, his hairs standing on end.

The voice that emerged this time was no longer a cute loli voice, but the incredibly familiar voice of Xu Xiaoshou.

This, once again, forcefully brought his thoughts to a screeching halt…

"You are indeed Xu Xiaoshou!"

As he realized all this, Shouye's entire body tensed up involuntarily.

This was his body's natural reaction to a potential external death threat—Xu Xiaoshou had lifted his foot!

"Xu Xiaoshou has a Sovereign body!"

"Even at the Path-Severing Realm," he thought, "without a Saint Body and only my spiritual energy to protect me, taking his close-range strike head-on would certainly result in severe injury!"

Shouye reacted swiftly as these thoughts flashed through his mind.

Then, he immediately mobilized the power of the domain, his body on the verge of merging with the Great Path.

"Too late…"

Xu Xiaoshou let out a long sigh.

Shouye, under his powerful attack, hadn't expected to be approached at close range. If all his spontaneous reactions had to be completed right under Xu Xiaoshou's nose…

How could Xu Xiaoshou possibly let his opponent succeed?

Not a hint of spiritual energy fluctuation…

No external augmentation…

And no other trivial, superfluous movements that would prolong the action and give the enemy time to react…

One kick!

Just a single whip kick!

After Xu Xiaoshou turned sideways and leaned his body, he unleashed a powerful kick just before Shouye could vanish into the Heavenly Path, striking the space in front of him.

He had deliberately controlled it, choosing not to directly snap Shouye's slender waist.

Yet even so…

*Boom!*

Under this blow, the void shattered inch by inch in a shockwave.

The collapse was so swift that in an instant, the shattered space extended from the edge of Lone Sound Cliff all the way to the sea of clouds between the cliffs.

Shouye had miscalculated.

He thought Xu Xiaoshou had a Sovereign body, so even if he took a bit of damage from the front, he could use that brief moment to escape into the Great Path.

But Xu Xiaoshou didn't have a Sovereign body!

He possessed Sovereign-level "Enhancement," "Reverberation," "Resilience," "Sharpness," and many more passive skills.

These passive skills had been inconspicuous at Tiansang Spiritual Palace, in the White Cave, and even in Dongtian King City, where he couldn't fully utilize them due to his Young Master Xu identity.

But now!

Without needing to conceal his identity, and with no desire to conceal it from Shouye, Xu Xiaoshou unleashed them with a roar…

This was already dozens, even hundreds of times stronger than the peak combat power Shouye remembered the young junior possessing!

*Boom, boom, boom…*

The roaring sound of shattering space faded in his ears.

As Shouye's afterimage dissipated in place, the sea of clouds between Lone Sound Cliff sensed an alien body invasion, and a burst of dazzling light flashed.

After that, Shouye's bruised and battered body, unable to put up any resistance, was sealed of all abilities by the forbidden spell barrier, falling straight down and disappearing from sight.

One strike, instant kill!

In a flash, Shouye made his move, Shouye was startled, and Shouye disappeared.

At this moment, the Dark Domain, which had sealed off everyone's six senses, only then began to shatter loudly… The entire process took only a few breaths.