Chapter 954: Hundred-layered Domain Locks the Yellow Springs, Astonishing Everyone with Temporal Space Skills

Is it... over?

The moment the Dark Domain shattered, Ye Xiaotian recovered from his stunned state. He had just reacted to the Nightwatchman's sudden attack. He had just concluded his thoughts: "Yi might be Yi, or perhaps Xu Xiaoshou, but in any case, they are currently an enemy, and the enemy of my enemy is my friend; I should offer assistance."

He was just about to use "Lord of All Realms" to help the "shapeshifter"—who was very likely Xu Xiaoshou—resolve the trouble with the Throne Domain. But before the power of the spatial domain "Lord of All Realms" could fully coalesce, the Dark Domain shattered!

His six senses had been sealed for mere moments. Ye Xiaotian initially thought that in those brief moments, due to his hesitation, Xu Xiaoshou had been slain by the Nightwatchman. However, when his vision cleared, he saw the little girl, Yi, standing where the Nightwatchman had just been, bending over. She was wiping the tip of her shoe. Blood was still dripping from it...

Ye Xiaotian: ???

Impossible! This is absolutely impossible! If it were Yi at the peak of the Void, instantly obliterating a Path-Severer Nightwatchman, Ye Xiaotian could understand. But his conjecture was that the little girl, Yi, was more likely Xu Xiaoshou. So, how could Xu Xiaoshou, merely at the Master realm, make a Path-Severer Nightwatchman vanish into thin air in such a short time?

Ye Xiaotian suddenly had a theory, and subtly glanced behind him, towards the direction of the sea of clouds in Lonely Sound Cliff. "He used the 'Forbidden Spell Barrier'?"

Received doubt, passive value, 1.

In the void, there were still traces of shattered and repaired space; the traces extended directly to the sea of clouds between the cliffs, then vanished. Outsiders would find it hard to notice, but Ye Xiaotian, a Throne master of spatial profoundness, naturally perceived that these were newly coalesced spaces. "He definitely used the 'Forbidden Spell Barrier'!"

This conclusion put Ye Xiaotian at ease. It wasn't entirely impossible for Xu Xiaoshou, in a Throne body, to use the 'Forbidden Spell Barrier' to bury a Path-Severer Nightwatchman in a very short time. This judgment validated Ye Xiaotian's idea and further confirmed that the little girl, Yi, was still on their side. Ye Xiaotian then secretly erased the lingering traces of the new space in the void, to prevent Rao Yaoyao and others from noticing the abnormality of the 'Forbidden Spell Barrier'—after all, this was his last escape route.

At this moment, Ye Xiaotian was filled with emotion: "I just told him about the 'Forbidden Spell Barrier'..."

"He was still preempted and covered by the Nightwatchman's domain first. Yet, despite being on the defensive, he could still achieve an instant kill, even if he borrowed the power of the 'Forbidden Spell Barrier'..."

"Xu Xiaoshou, has grown this much?"

Received sigh, passive value, 1.

Received shock, passive value, 102.

On the other side.

"Where's the Nightwatchman?"

As the darkness receded, Wang Dachui was so startled he nearly leaped up. In just those few moments, he had been enveloped by darkness and hadn't had time to get his bearings or assess the battlefield. Now, upon seeing again, the Nightwatchman was gone?

"You..." Wang Dachui stared blankly at the little girl, Yi, who had stood up again, feeling that she now possessed means that could threaten his life. At this point, he had absolutely no idea whether she was friend or foe. Had the Nightwatchman's action enraged Yi, leading Yi to eliminate him? Or had Xu Xiaoshou already set up an ambush, anticipating the Nightwatchman's move, and used some special ability to make him vanish on the spot?

Regardless of the conjecture... How could a Path-Severer disappear into thin air and die instantly? This was too absurd!

Wang Dachui was suddenly terrified. This terror stemmed from the unknown, not from the enemy's perceived strength. He looked at Rao Yaoyao, trying to find an answer.

"You're not Yi, you're Xu Xiaoshou..." Rao Yaoyao murmured to herself, her voice almost inaudible. In her slightly bewildered eyes, a newfound resolve appeared as she saw the little girl, Yi, stand up again and look towards them. "Yi would not attack her own kind!"

The Nightwatchman's sudden attack indeed greatly surprised Rao Yaoyao. She had been waiting. She was willing to spend time cooperating with "Yi's" theatrics. All of this, in essence, was buying time. Just as the other side was buying time, Rao Yaoyao also wanted to wait for a bigger fish to bite. But Rao Yaoyao knew her ultimate bottom line—regardless of predictions or outcomes, at this point, none of these individuals would be allowed to escape!

Since the other party might enjoy playing games, she was happy to follow their rhythm and personally experience what choices she would make when caught in such a situation. This was a new experience, much like her cultivation of the sword and refining her heart in the mortal world.

However, the Nightwatchman's thoughts differed from hers. The Nightwatchman feared that Rao Yaoyao would truly be led astray by the opponent, believe their words, and eventually become 'Nightwatchman the Second.' Thus, he chose to act, forcefully interrupting the process. Rao Yaoyao understood the Nightwatchman's intentions. The reason she didn't stop her subordinate's attack was that she also felt it was enough. One Saint Servant Xu Xiaoshou might not be enough, but with the addition of the last surviving member of the Lei family, it had already greatly exceeded the pre-action expectations.

But the Nightwatchman had attacked, and before Rao Yaoyao even made a move, the next second, the Nightwatchman was gone... This situation was starting to get serious! No one could have predicted that a Path-Severer Nightwatchman would be instantly killed by an enemy. Crucially, the Nightwatchman wasn't an ordinary Path-Severer; he was one of the first test subjects of the Holy Divine Palace, wielding the Void power of 'Vast Righteousness.' If he had truly died, that would be one thing. But the Nightwatchman had vanished into thin air, leaving no trace! If he had truly been captured by a Saint Servant, under soul interrogation, the secrets of the Holy Divine Palace might not be safe.

At this moment, Rao Yaoyao could no longer remain calm. Her current state was like watching a spectacular 'disappearing person' magic trick in the mundane world, which should have been met with applause. But if the disappearing person was one of her own, and their fate was unknown... Who could laugh? The show had begun, but she had inexplicably become an actor, drawn into the rhythm of the opposing magician, forced to cooperate like a puppet on strings... Who could endure this? The big fish hadn't been caught, but the fishing rod had snapped first... What fisherman could remain perfectly calm and continue to wait?

Rao Yaoyao's expression hardened, a hint of gloom clouding her brow. She gently raised her hand, her red lips parting slightly, and spoke without preamble. "Act!"

They couldn't wait any longer. If they waited any longer, as the Nightwatchman had feared, the situation would truly be completely controlled by this young man. And now, the situation was steadily deteriorating towards the worst-case scenario; only a forceful intervention could break this stalemate!

Behind her, hundreds of Enforcers received the command, their expressions solemn, and they roared in unison. "Kill!!!"

Killing intent surged heavenward. Then, under the horrified gazes of Ye Xiaotian, Lei Xier, and others, the Throned, Path-Severers, and Voids present all moved their hands in unison, sweeping them to their sides, and their Spiritual Cores burst forth without restraint.

"Domain, open!""Domain, open!""Domain, open!!!"

Hundreds of people roared the command in unison. In an instant, a kaleidoscope of lights engulfed the entire Lonely Sound Cliff. And in mere moments, amidst booming sounds, layers of domains rose from the ground, covering everyone present, like nested dolls, completely sealing off all escape routes. A hundred layers of domains, suddenly manifested!

Received fright, passive value, 1.

Not to mention Lei Xier and Ye Xiaotian, even Xu Xiaoshou, who had just kicked the Nightwatchman away, was astonished by this magnificent scene. Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth; Light, Dark, Wind, Thunder, Ice... Xu Xiaoshou had never in his life seen such a complete array of elemental domains manifest before him. He had also never imagined that there would be a day when he simultaneously provoked hundreds of Throned cultivators and was engulfed by their domains!

This was simply... No escape, no retreat!

And as this crisis loomed, he hadn't even grown to the Throne realm, which would offer at least some means of defense, but was merely a Master... Well, strictly speaking, a Heavenly Phenomenon realm.

I'm completely numb! Xu Xiaoshou looked at the layers of domains above him, feeling his composure about to shatter. He resented why, after dragging this out for so long, no reinforcements had arrived yet. Had he misjudged? Was the thought that guided him to Lonely Sound Cliff not from one of his own, but from an unknown enemy?

Fortunately, Xu Xiaoshou never placed all his hope on others. From the moment he kicked the Nightwatchman away, he had already anticipated the worst outcome—and the worst couldn't be worse than the current situation!

"If I move against the Enforcers, this 'Yi' identity is bound to be exposed."

"So, do I play the fool and stick with this meaningless alias until the end, or reveal my true form and confront them head-on?"

Neither! Xu Xiaoshou had already devised a 'Third Plan'!

"Heh heh." In that critical moment, Xu Xiaoshou suppressed the impending tremble in his calves. Under everyone's gaze, he slightly curled his lips into a mocking smile and declared loudly: "This one has already given you a chance to delude yourselves, but alas, you are useless, repeatedly challenging this one's bottom line... Know that curiosity killed the cat!"

The voice that emerged again from the little girl Yi's mouth became neither male nor female, but utterly neutral. The ethereal quality, the special vibrating vocal technique that seemed to drift down from all directions, combined to create the image of a slumbering master finally enraged and awakened. The voice sounded somewhat familiar... some of the surrounding Enforcers became wary, feeling as if they had heard this voice somewhere before.

Rao Yaoyao's next move was also interrupted. She looked towards the little girl Yi's direction with a sense of realization, and the next second, her expression drastically changed.

Received attention, passive value, 144.

Under the gaze of the multitude, Xu Xiaoshou's body began to contort once more. This time, his height instantly surged, and his simple clothing transformed into lavish, golden attire. A large hood covered his head. A golden mask appeared on his face. On his back, a saber and a sword crossed, both wrapped in sealing ribbons. The saber was a Tang saber, the sword was a longsword!

The moment this striking figure appeared, all the Throned, Path-Severers, and even Voids present froze in their actions, their faces filled with shock. Wang Dachui's eyes went blank. Rao Yaoyao's gaze seemed to lose focus as well.

"King Yama, Huang Quan?"

Received suspicion, passive value, 144.

Even Ye Xiaotian and Lei Xier, who were trapped at the edge of Lonely Sound Cliff by a hundred Throne domains and had roused their defensive instincts, were utterly stunned. Ye Xiaotian's reaction was quite pathetic. At that moment, he even broke out in goosebumps, terrified to the point of nearly losing his soul by the appearance of Huang Quan, who was perfectly replicated, down to the aura.

Since retreating to the Heavenly Sang Spirit Palace, Ye Xiaotian had only fully unleashed his power twice in total. The first time, he had an arm broken by the Saint Servant's leader, the masked man, who he later learned was Bazun An. The second time was in the Cloud Ridge Mountains, where he was caught by King Yama Huang Quan and tortured to the point of almost being unable to care for himself. It could be said that these two individuals had left a deep impression on Ye Xiaotian, making him dare not claim invincibility, even after mastering spatial profoundness, and he even refrained from adopting a more audacious and flamboyant style of action. Ye Xiaotian deeply understood that this world was fraught with dangers; before achieving Path-Severance, even spatial profoundness was but an ant. Therefore, the sudden appearance of this Huang Quan, even if he knew it might be a facade, the sheer impact of this image on him was immense.

On the other side, Lei Xier's heart was filled with collapse and disbelief. The battle between Xu Xiaoshou and the Nightwatchman was entirely unseen by outsiders due to the sealing of the six senses, but Lei Xier was an exception. Her Divine Demon Eyes, being vastly superior to the Nightwatchman's Dark Domain, naturally allowed her to clearly see that the Nightwatchman had been kicked down to the bottom of Lonely Sound Cliff by Xu Xiaoshou.

Therefore, knowing Xu Xiaoshou's true identity, Lei Xier, despite still wanting to maintain her newly established aloof image, completely lost her composure at this 'Huang Quan' appearance. Only one thought remained in her mind: How dare he?

To have fooled the Enforcers with an ability to this extent, Xu Xiaoshou must have racked his brains, exploiting various information gaps to catch the opponent off guard. Lei Xier, putting herself in his shoes, knew that if it were her, she would have been exposed within three sentences. Xu Xiaoshou had done his best! But now, in this moment of extreme peril, why did he still dare to transform into Huang Quan? Was he joking? This identity, even without speaking, would surely be exposed once Rao Yaoyao's initial surprise wore off, right? What was wrong with the 'Xu Xiaoshou' identity? Was it because he had been cursed too many times that he didn't dare use it at all?

"Hua...ng Quan?"

As expected, after her initial surprise, Rao Yaoyao's lips twitched, and her eyes held a hint of mockery: "Xu Xiaoshou, you truly exceed my expectations. This is too interesting." Rao Yaoyao was genuinely amused. She had never encountered such an interesting person, willing to do anything to buy time. Huang Quan wouldn't dare appear before her alone! If this was truly Xu Xiaoshou transformed by some imitator, what abilities could he mimic? Could he inherit Huang Quan's spatiotemporal attributes?

"Absurd!"

Rao Yaoyao no longer wanted to bother with this charlatan. She turned her gaze to the silver-haired woman not far away. Among the three present, only this last survivor of the Lei family held the most value and was most worth her effort.

"Attack!"

At her command, the Enforcers behind her surged forward, each activating their domain power. The power of hundreds of domains, in various colors and forms, converged, poised to strike down the 'Huang Quan' who was playing tricks. Meanwhile, Rao Yaoyao, sword in hand, flew alone towards Lei Xier.

Lei Xier's pupils trembled. Forgetting to curse Xu Xiaoshou in her mind, she instinctively prepared to use the power of her 'Divine Demon Eyes' to counterattack. Just then, at this critical, unyielding moment...

"Sigh."

A soft sigh echoed from the void, containing endless helplessness, as if lamenting why people wouldn't believe. Following this, everything in heaven and earth seemed to slow down. The power coalesced by the hundred domains decelerated, Rao Yaoyao's flying figure slowed, and the air suddenly became eerily quiet, with only the strange, delayed rustle of even the wind remaining.

Click, click.

Rao Yaoyao's elegant neck felt like it had suddenly gained rusty gears; she turned her head back with great difficulty. With just a glance, she saw the 'Huang Quan' charlatan shake his head slightly, his right hand lightly raised. His other four fingers were slightly lifted, leaving only his middle finger gently tapping the void. And from that point, imperceptible ripples spread through the void, encircling everyone by the cliff—the true culprit behind the slowed movements.

Rao Yaoyao's thoughts felt as long as a century had passed before boundless shock arose in her heart. "Ti...me... slo...w?"