Chapter 957: This Damn Situ Mediocrity

"Shouye, captured?"

In just a few brief moments of darkness, he was severely wounded by Huang Quan and then taken down?

Rao Yaoyao was somewhat stunned, but then, considering Huang Quan's incredibly strange spatial-temporal attributes, she felt a sense of relief. To everyone else, Shouye's attack had only lasted a few breaths, but in Huang Quan's eyes, it could have been a long century. With such a disparity in time, Shouye might have only made one move, while Huang Quan could have counterattacked countless times. It was perfectly understandable that Shouye was gravely injured.

What startled Rao Yaoyao most was the meaning behind Huang Quan's display of Shouye at this moment.

Rao Yaoyao's heart was already filled with a bad premonition.

While the Enforcers, like Sword Immortal Rao, hesitated and were utterly shocked, Ye Xiaotian and Lei Xi'er, who were on the same side, were equally surprised. Ye Xiaotian was surprised because, according to his deductions, Shouye should have fallen to the bottom of Lone Sound Cliff. How could another Shouye appear? Ye Xiaotian was utterly baffled. Lei Xi'er was even more so; she had personally witnessed Shouye being kicked down Lone Sound Cliff by Xu Xiaoshou, yet now there was another Shouye…

"His, that kind of clone?"

Lei Xi'er suddenly realized something, yet found it hard to believe. This newly appeared Shouye, along with the two Huang Quan members with Lei family eyes, seemed far too realistic!

"What do you intend to do!" Rao Yaoyao could no longer remain calm and spoke with a serious tone. She realized that from Huang Quan transforming into Xu Xiaoshou, then into Yi, and then his true body appearing, the situation had consistently been under the opponent's control. At this moment, even if she wanted to forcefully intervene, the thought of the opponent's time attribute made it seem entirely unrealistic.

She still had to wait! Wait for that kid to complete his setup!

"As I said," Xu Xiaoshou stated, "let's make a deal."

Xu Xiaoshou, seated upon the space, remained perfectly composed, as if capturing Shouye was effortless and nothing to be proud of.

"What kind of deal?" Rao Yaoyao asked, trying to buy time.

Xu Xiaoshou saw his opponent falling into the trap step by step and smiled faintly: "One person for one sword."

Upon hearing this, everyone present was bewildered. What kind of sword could Shouye's value exchange for? Surely not... All the Enforcers in the vicinity suddenly turned their heads, their gaze fixed on the Xuan Cang Divine Sword in Rao Yaoyao's hand.

No way, no way?!

"What sword?"

Rao Yaoyao also noticed the gaze from beneath Huang Quan's mask. She suddenly found it very amusing. What kind of thinking was this on the other side? Did he really believe that by capturing Shouye, he could control the entire situation?

"The Xuan Cang Divine Sword." Xu Xiaoshou indifferently stated what everyone was thinking.

As soon as he said this, the entire scene erupted in an uproar.

"The Xuan Cang Divine Sword? Has Huang Quan gone mad? Even if Senior Shouye is powerful, how could one person match the value of the Xuan Cang Divine Sword?"

"Exactly! This is the Headquarters' treasure that suppresses fate and fortune. Is he joking?"

The commotion had barely begun when Wang Dachui snorted coldly, and the entire area immediately fell silent again.

Rao Yaoyao shook her head slightly. She truly hadn't expected Huang Quan to be so audacious with his demands. How could Shouye and the Xuan Cang Divine Sword be of equal value? If it were something else, Rao Yaoyao might have accepted her bad luck and exchanged one item for one person, redeeming Shouye first before discussing anything else. But the Xuan Cang Divine Sword... That simply couldn't be used for a trade!

"Are you joking?" Rao Yaoyao snorted coldly, slowly rising into the air with the Xuan Cang Divine Sword, confronting Huang Quan, who was seated on the space.

Of course, I'm joking... Xu Xiaoshou thought to himself. How could I possibly propose an equivalent trade that Rao Yaoyao would instantly agree to? If Shouye's illusionary clone were really exchanged, wouldn't my cover be blown on the spot? But by presenting Shouye and proposing this completely unequal treaty, would it make the identity of "Huang Quan" seem rather brainless?

On this point, Xu Xiaoshou was confident.

"I'm not just exchanging this one person with you; there are also many secrets on him..."

As Xu Xiaoshou spoke, he pointed towards Shouye. He skillfully used his spiritual power to make Shouye struggle and squirm, but it ended in failure, his face filled with despair.

He said no more. Xu Xiaoshou knew Rao Yaoyao could infer his unspoken meaning. Shouye held a great secret! Xu Xiaoshou could already tell this from the Supreme Void power Shouye had just displayed. How could a Dao Cutter possess Supreme Void power without a special reason? That was simply unrealistic!

Xu Xiaoshou wasn't sure how Shouye had obtained Supreme Void power, but he immediately thought of a young red-clad figure—Lu Ke! This was a young red-clad person he had met in the White Cave; he had once uncontrollably revealed Ghost Qi, a power unique to ghost beasts! Xu Xiaoshou didn't know if Shouye's Supreme Void power had intricate connections with young Lu Ke's Ghost Qi. But he knew that even without a connection, Shouye was no ordinary red-clad Enforcer. He also believed that what he didn't know didn't need to be explicitly stated, because Rao Yaoyao, as an internal member of the Holy Divine Palace, must know everything! A mere hint would suffice.

Sure enough, after he uttered the word "secret," Rao Yaoyao fell silent. Amidst the surprised expressions of all the Enforcers, she genuinely seemed to begin weighing which was more important: the Xuan Cang Divine Sword or Shouye's secret.

"Is this secret that important?"

Even though Rao Yaoyao quickly returned to her normal expression, that momentary hesitation still gave Xu Xiaoshou hope. The illusionary clone of Shouye in his hands carried immense weight!

At this moment, Rao Yaoyao's ear twitched slightly, as if she had received a telepathic message, and her demeanor instantly relaxed significantly.

"Huang Quan, do you truly believe that by capturing Shouye, you can sway my decision?"

Rao Yaoyao inverted her grip on the Xuan Cang Divine Sword, and the sharpness of a Sword Immortal gradually emanated from her, her aura fully unleashed. She instantly broke free from Xu Xiaoshou's guidance, as if reclaiming control of the situation.

What happened? Xu Xiaoshou didn't understand, but a bad premonition suddenly arose in his heart. He knew Rao Yaoyao was waiting, essentially buying time, waiting for a combat opportunity that would allow her to apprehend everyone. However, after such a long time, the target before her had changed repeatedly, from Xu Xiaoshou to Yi, and then to Huang Quan. Theoretically speaking, without prior preparation, the opportunity Rao Yaoyao was waiting for might not be enough to withstand Huang Quan's combat strength. But just a moment ago, Xu Xiaoshou perceived that Rao Yaoyao's mindset had changed. She had returned to her identity as the red-clad Enforcer Chief, as if she had acquired a power capable of countering "Huang Quan"'s spatial-temporal abilities.

Xu Xiaoshou didn't know what other arrangements the Enforcers had, so he could only adapt to changing circumstances by remaining unchanged. He smiled indifferently and said: "So you're not trading, are you? My interest in this subordinate of yours is actually not much less than that of the Xuan Cang Divine Sword in your hand. Since you're not trading..."

He spread his hands. "The deal is off."

Thump-thump! Thump-thump!

His heartbeat began to accelerate. Xu Xiaoshou knew this was a sudden intuition, a spiritual premonition. Next, Rao Yaoyao was undoubtedly preparing to act, and her sudden decision to break away from the "Huang Quan" topic definitely meant she had grasped a terrifying power.

After calmly finishing his last sentence and perfecting Huang Quan's image, only the thought of "flee" remained in Xu Xiaoshou's mind. From appearance to conclusion, "Huang Quan"'s objective was very clear. He had initially come for the "Divine Demon Eyes." After being discovered by the Enforcers, he seized the opportunity to capture the red-clad Shouye, expressing interest in the Xuan Cang Divine Sword and a desire to uncover the secrets on Shouye. This was enough! It was entirely sufficient for Huang Quan to kill Yi, take the imitator, pin all the blame on the Holy Slaves, and then try to gain something more, leaving if he couldn't—this behavior was perfectly reasonable! Xu Xiaoshou felt that "Huang Quan"'s performance had been largely flawless until this point. He had successfully shifted the blame for Yi's murder to the King of Hell, alleviating the Enforcers' hatred towards his identity as "Holy Slave Xu Xiaoshou," so...

If not now, then when?

"Farewell, everyone. Until we meet again."

Without giving Rao Yaoyao any more time to react, Xu Xiaoshou pointed a finger into the void, continuing his "Time Slowdown" technique. As everyone's movements suddenly became stiff, he didn't hesitate for a moment. He looked first towards Lei Xi'er and directly opened a spatial passage to the Yuan Mansion World above her head. Even in this critical moment, Xu Xiaoshou didn't forget to disguise the spatial passage to the Yuan Mansion World. Using "Mastery of Painting," he drew a "spatial-temporal vortex" on this spatial passage, mimicking what he had seen the real Huang Quan use when leaving.

"Get in!"

He didn't use spiritual telepathy, fearing that a powerful being might intercept it and thus discern his identity. But with just a glance, Lei Xi'er understood his inner thoughts and, without hesitation, attempted to leap into the spatial passage...

Just then, a sudden change occurred!

Above the cliff's edge, clouds and winds suddenly gathered, forming dozens of giant cloud-mist beasts. These gigantic beasts overshadowed the sky, each with a ten-zhang horn on its head, treading on seven-colored auspicious clouds. Their bodies resembled huge fish, with cloud scales, and they bore twin wings that, when spread, could cover half the sky, like ancient Kunpengs.

—Cloud Beasts!

A full thirty-six Cloud Beasts appeared, nearly filling the entire sky. Even more critically, these normally gentle Cloud Beasts, upon their sudden appearance, seemed to have been provoked. They began to call out madly, one after another.

"Woo!"

"Woo-woo-woo!"

"Woo-woo-woo-woo-woo..."

A terrifying mental impact instantly made Xu Xiaoshou's head spin. The moment he wavered, the "Time Slowdown" power was forcibly interrupted, and the spatial passage to the Yuan Mansion World that had opened above Lei Xi'er's head dissipated. Lei Xi'er, with the self-protection mechanism of the Divine Demon Eyes, was completely unaffected by the Cloud Beasts' mental impact. But as she leaped forward, the spatial passage to the Yuan Mansion World was gone!

This sudden turn of events momentarily stunned Lei Xi'er, but she quickly composed herself. Xu Xiaoshou wasn't the "true Huang Quan." Facing Rao Yaoyao's backup plan, he couldn't withstand it alone! Moreover, what appeared this time were strange Cloud Beasts with mental attack capabilities... dozens of them! Compared to entering the Yuan Mansion herself, staying behind would be more helpful to Xu Xiaoshou. Without a moment's hesitation, Lei Xi'er turned her head towards Xu Xiaoshou's direction, and her Divine Demon Eyes suddenly spun.

"Dispel!"

White mist emanated from her left eye. The instant the divine power blossomed, Xu Xiaoshou felt his mental daze alleviate instantly, and he immediately regained his senses. Too late to express thanks, Xu Xiaoshou sensed something and looked to the other side. At the same time, Ye Xiaotian's dizzy state was also dispelled with the help of Lei Xi'er's Divine Demon Eyes.

As their hearts pounded with lingering fear, all three simultaneously looked towards the source of this sudden change...

One person!

A rather handsome, dashing, and refined young man. He was surrounded by a full 365 golden formation tokens. His luxurious attire was adorned with gold and jade, and his waistband hung with various miniaturized spiritual artifacts like small pagodas, bells, tripods, and small shields, a dazzling array. He wore over a dozen layers of necklaces around his neck, seven or eight bracelets on his wrists, and more than ten rings on his ten fingers, making one wonder if such a burden would affect a person's agility.

Furthermore, a drop of golden sacred blood floated in the palm of the young man's left hand, seemingly intended to be swallowed immediately if anything unexpected occurred. In his right hand, he held a small bronze mirror, entwined with mist. Anyone with discerning eyes could tell that the sudden appearance of dozens of ghost beasts was the work of this small bronze mirror's power.

"Damn it... This is too extravagant! How afraid of death are you?!"

Xu Xiaoshou was utterly dumbfounded on the spot. He paused for a full half-breath before finally shifting his gaze from the young man's gold- and jade-adorned, utterly luxurious appearance to his face.

A very familiar face!

Situ Yongren!

Xu Xiaoshou's heart sank. When he was at the First Floor in the Sky, Situ Yongren had once visited at night but was driven away by a few words from him. But back then, his opponent had already vowed to compete again in the Yunlun Mountain Range. At that time, Xu Xiaoshou seemed unconcerned, but due to Situ Yongren's identity, he paid a bit more attention. Yet, despite being in the Yunlun Mountain Range for so long, he had never seen Situ Yongren. Even with the greatest changes in the Enforcer team, this guy had remained as if vanished, never appearing.

Now... daring to enter the scene with a mirror amidst the confrontation between Rao Yaoyao and "Huang Quan," if someone said Situ Yongren wasn't fully prepared, Xu Xiaoshou wouldn't believe it for a second!

"My apologies, Sword Immortal Rao..." As soon as Situ Yongren entered, he first looked at Rao Yaoyao and explained, "Too many stowaways appeared outside Lone Sound Cliff. I had to divert their attention first, which wasted a lot of time."

Rao Yaoyao was also surprised by Situ Yongren's "equipment." But considering that the opponent was a junior, and that he could enter under such immense pressure, it was truly not easy. Taking more self-preservation measures under Huang Quan's pressure, one could only say... it was a proper response.

"Save Shouye first!" Without unnecessary words, she charged towards Huang Quan with her sword while instructing Situ Yongren.

"Understood." Situ Yongren felt relieved. He was also afraid of that King of Hell, who commanded spatial-temporal power; it was naturally better to avoid confronting him if possible.

On the other side. "I don't want to fight, damn it..." Xu Xiaoshou saw Rao Yaoyao approaching with utmost seriousness, clearly holding her sword with full strength, and his heart immediately panicked! He could faintly "perceive" that the moment Situ Yongren appeared, the surrounding spatial environment and Dao ripples had all changed. It was as if everyone at Lone Sound Cliff had simultaneously entered a place similar to a storyteller's "Ancient Tome Space" world. This must be why Rao Yaoyao suddenly dared to act, because she no longer had to worry about being escaped from by "spatial-temporal power."

Xu Xiaoshou understood all this, yet felt somewhat powerless. After all, he wasn't the true Huang Quan, unable to comprehend the true meaning of space and time, and thus couldn't directly escape by transcending the heavenly secret blockade with Lei Xi'er and Ye Xiaotian. And now, Situ Yongren and Rao Yaoyao had split into two groups. If the former managed to reach Shouye, all his efforts just now would certainly be in vain. Once his identity was exposed, Rao Yaoyao, in her fury and without inhibitions, could cleave him in two with a single sword stroke!

As for the latter... Rao Yaoyao was already charging with her sword; he couldn't ignore her! If he couldn't withstand this sword strike, his identity as the fake Huang Quan would still be undoubtedly exposed. What everyone would face next would be the furious retaliation of all the Enforcers who had been toyed with for half a day!

"Damn that Situ Yongren!"