Chapter 971: Temple River Fishing Eight Revered Masters

"You monstrous fiend, I knew at first glance you weren't human!"

Xu Xiaoshou was so startled by the Water Ghost's kick that his soul nearly leaped from his body. Fortunately, he never trusted strangers. His constant deception had, ironically, honed his anti-fraud skills to their peak. With early warning signs, he instinctively lowered his body, narrowly dodging the kick.

"He dodged that?"

The Water Ghost was astonished. He hadn't expected Xu Xiaoshou, who appeared to have completely dropped his guard and even engaged in verbal sparring, to maintain such a high level of vigilance. His kick shattered the afterimage left by Xu Xiaoshou's swift retreat. Yet, as the young man pulled back, his expression clearly revealed not an intent to counterattack, but an undeniable desire to flee! Without a doubt, Xu Xiaoshou's most potent escape method was his mysterious "disappearance ability." The guy was about to turn invisible again!

"Freeze!"

When his attack failed, the Water Ghost formed a hand seal with his left hand, directly manipulating the water within the young man's body. A buzzing sound filled the air, and Xu Xiaoshou's head spun. He felt his body suddenly lose all control, trembling violently and uncontrollably. It felt as if multiple pots of boiling water had surged inside him, making the sensation unbearable. Simultaneously, the subconscious thought of activating his "Disappearance Art" was forcibly suppressed.

"Ambushed. Passive value: 1."

The information panel flickered once more. It appeared that the Water Ghost's movements, even at such close proximity, were too swift for Xu Xiaoshou's current cultivation level to react to. Each strike was registered by the system as an ambush.

"Your reaction is decent, but that's as far as it goes. Your battle awareness still needs significant practice." The Water Ghost offered an expressionless compliment, then instantly shifted his left-hand seal. The next second, as Xu Xiaoshou struggled against the agonizing sensation of boiling water within him, he felt a sudden emptiness in his body. It was as if something had suddenly drained away, leaving his mind blank. His attempt to mentally re-engage his "Disappearance Art" was once again aborted.

"Ghost Hand!"

The Water Ghost softly uttered, then swept his left hand forward. Xu Xiaoshou watched, horrified, as his clothes ripped open at the chest, and a crimson hand, formed from his own blood and water, extended from within his body. The blood-water hand emerged through his chest, causing no physical injury, yet it immediately seized Xu Xiaoshou by the neck, yanking him violently towards the Water Ghost.

Xu Xiaoshou shuffled forward several steps. He took a few unwilling, uncomfortable steps forward. This movement was entirely against his will. Under the control of the Ghost Hand, he finally understood why those he had seen earlier reacted with such terror after being similarly ensnared. It was truly akin to experiencing sleep paralysis while wide awake in broad daylight! With his body completely controlled by an unknown force, this helpless state of lacking self-control, without prior experience or countermeasures, left him utterly vulnerable. His body was utterly beyond his command! He was at the mercy of another.

"Think carefully about how you should respond the next time you face a situation like this. After all, not every enemy will give you a chance to speak, especially me, who witnessed how Rao Yaoyao was played for a fool."

The Water Ghost smirked. As Xu Xiaoshou shuffled unwillingly towards him, he remained motionless, quietly waiting. Then, as Xu Xiaoshou drew near, he unceremoniously extended his hidden right hand and forcefully shoved something into the young man's mouth.

—The Sacred Emperor Dragon Scale of the Demonic Black Dragon!

Xu Xiaoshou's "perception" clearly registered everything happening to him, yet he remained trapped in a state of helplessness and panic. The Water Ghost's abilities were incredibly eerie. This individual seemed to have been hiding at the bottom of Solitary Sound Cliff all along, witnessing how Xu Xiaoshou deceived Rao Yaoyao, and thus gave him no opportunity whatsoever. In such a situation, the true disadvantage of his Grandmaster cultivation facing a Spatial Void expert was utterly exposed. It was completely inadequate! Absolutely insufficient! The Water Ghost could kill him at any moment he wished!

Amidst his panic, Xu Xiaoshou was baffled by why the Water Ghost was performing these seemingly useless actions, stuffing the Sacred Emperor Dragon Scale into his mouth. What was the purpose of this?

"You don't want to use your 'Disappearance Art' now, nor do you wish to leave Solitary Sound Cliff. On the contrary, you've recognized your own weakness and are determined to grow stronger, willing to risk exploring the opportunities at the bottom of Solitary Sound Cliff." The Water Ghost gravely spoke these absurd words, as if implanting his will directly into Xu Xiaoshou.

Before Xu Xiaoshou could even retort, he felt the Sacred Emperor Dragon Scale in his mouth tremble slightly, emanating a faint black glow. Then, the will imposed by the Water Ghost truly began to manifest in his mind.

"He's right, I truly am too weak… Objectively, he has control over my fate right now, yet he isn't killing me, so he might not be a bad person… Therefore, most of what he says is likely trustworthy. There should indeed be an opportunity at the bottom of Solitary Sound Cliff that Ba Zun'an intends for me. I should go down…”

As Xu Xiaoshou's thoughts swirled in confusion, he completely failed to realize that he should activate his "Disappearance Art" at that very moment and erase himself from the world. He stopped, abruptly turned around, and gazed at the sea of clouds within Solitary Sound Cliff.

"Infatuated. Passive value: 1."

The information panel flickered, and the word "Infatuated" instantly shattered much of the chaotic thought in Xu Xiaoshou's mind. "Oh no, the Sacred Emperor Dragon Scale is interfering with my will!" Xu Xiaoshou's face was filled with horror.

At that moment, with his back to the Water Ghost, who seemingly couldn't see his expression, the Water Ghost continued to impose his will: "Come on, you are very brave. You deeply desire to reach your place of ascension, and therefore wish to take the first step of your life."

"The hell I do!" Xu Xiaoshou dared not turn around, fearing his anomaly would be discovered. Instead, with lightning speed, he unceremoniously kicked backward with all his might, delivering a powerful "Dragon's Tail Swing."

The Water Ghost was truly unprepared for the young man before him to perceive and react to the Sacred Emperor Dragon Scale's influence in such a short time. Xu Xiaoshou's foot, like a sharp sword, pierced directly through the Water Ghost's abdomen!

"Splat!"

Clothing ripped, and water splashed. The Water Ghost lowered his head in disbelief, staring at the large, gaping hole in his abdomen. It instantly morphed into a swirling vortex of water, rapidly repairing itself.

"A kick with absolutely no spiritual energy fluctuations, and yet it breached my natural defenses?" The Water Ghost was dumbfounded, then quickly remembered his King's Body. But how could a King's Body grant such an attack? The sharp, piercing pain, like a sword to the heart, proved that Xu Xiaoshou's strike had indeed caused him damage. However, for a master of water-elemental mysteries, such injuries were negligible. But he was only a Grandmaster! A Grandmaster could already inflict damage on a Spatial Void master of water-elemental mysteries?

"A hedgehog?" The Water Ghost recalled the term Cen Qiaofu had used. He suddenly wondered if, when Cen Qiaofu and Xu Xiaoshou had met, the latter was merely an ordinary hedgehog. But now, this young man had mutated into a steel-spined hyena, on the verge of unleashing its full wildness. If he were allowed to grow, he would become utterly untouchable!

"Well, well..." The Water Ghost was amused, even angered. "So you're really going to fight to the bitter end, huh? I told you this was an opportunity. Wouldn't it be easier to just go down willingly, instead of forcing my hand?"

He ceased holding back. As Xu Xiaoshou abruptly turned, the Water Ghost extended a single finger.

"Deep Blue!"

With a soft thud, a deep blue water droplet shot from the Water Ghost's fingertip, piercing through Xu Xiaoshou's chest and disappearing deep into the sea of clouds within Solitary Sound Cliff.

"Attacked. Passive value: 1."

Xu Xiaoshou let out a muffled groan, instinctively clutching his chest, feeling as though he was on the verge of suffocating. He felt as if he had just faced not a single water droplet, but an entire ocean compressed into that miniscule form! The force of an entire ocean crashed upon him, yet the Water Ghost's precise control was exceptional. There was only a fleeting sting, followed by the immense force of the impact. But that despair-inducing impact shattered Xu Xiaoshou's body, laden with passive skills, as if it were made of paper, instantly breaching his defenses. The immense force even pierced through his chest, sending his body arching through the air, flung directly into the sea of clouds within Solitary Sound Cliff.

"Go on, grow quickly. I look forward to our next encounter… when you can perhaps exact your revenge." A smile played on the Water Ghost's lips beneath his golden mask as he watched the young man fly away from his attack, clearly relishing the moment.

"Damn it all…" Xu Xiaoshou desperately wanted to unleash a string of curses, but the Sacred Emperor Dragon Scale in his mouth prevented him from doing so. Knowing that beneath him lay Solitary Sound Cliff, a forbidden spell barrier, he was incredibly nervous. He completely reined in his spiritual energy to avoid triggering the barrier. But the Water Ghost offered no such chance. The deep blue water droplet shot from his fingertip suddenly glowed within the sea of clouds. The light was faint, merely a wispy gleam. The spiritual energy was equally weak, just a trace. But it was enough. Xu Xiaoshou despairingly realized that the Water Ghost was simply being malicious; he had used that deep blue water droplet to intentionally trigger the forbidden spell barrier.

"Boom!"

A blinding flash of light, followed by a sudden rush of weightlessness. In the sea of clouds of Solitary Sound Cliff, no trace of a human figure remained. Only an indistinct curse echoed in the lingering air:

"You vile bastard, may your children be born without an anus!"

The Water Ghost smiled as he watched Xu Xiaoshou plummet from the cliff, recalling the phrase "karma comes for us all." After all, he had personally witnessed Xu Xiaoshou kick Shou Ye down into the abyss. As for the curse…

"Apologies, but I'm afraid I'll disappoint you. I already have a son, and it's highly probable he'll be my only one in this lifetime. I won't be having any more." The Water Ghost shook his head with a soft laugh, adjusted his golden mask, and turned his back to the sea of clouds. A sudden wistfulness washed over him as he gazed at the utterly ruined landscape ahead, as if seeing his own future path, devoid of any direction. He took a step forward, then stopped, looking up at the sky.

"The task is done. From now on, more moths will inevitably throw themselves into the flame, and I'll handle them all for you. So, in the end, what answer will you give me, Ba Zun'an…"

Sijiang River.

There was no sea near the Yunlun Mountain Range or the Eastern Heavenly King City. The closest thing to a "sea" was the Sijiang River, a hundred zhang wide, perpetually flowing, yet rarely visited by people. As endless conflicts erupted within the Yunlun Mountain Range, two silent figures sat quietly on a large rock by the Sijiang River.

Ba Zun'an’s hair was disheveled, and while still slovenly, his face appeared freshly washed, revealing a chiseled, sharp-featured man's face. Apart from his cloudy eyes, there was no fault to be found in his appearance. After all, in his younger days, this very face had captivated countless maidens. The surging Sijiang River never ceased, perpetually rushing onward.

Ba Zun'an sat quietly on the large rock, gripping his fishing rod tightly. The bobber floated on the river's surface, repeatedly swept away by the current, and repeatedly, he struggled to pull it back. On another large rock nearby, the Storyteller held his fishing rod steadily, tilting his head to observe the scene. He constantly felt that if he wasn't careful, the Sijiang River might soon have an unknown floating corpse.

Attempts at persuasion had already occurred numerous times. The Storyteller no longer mentioned concerns about life safety. Instead, parting her red lips, she asked worriedly, "Brother, do you think Xu Xiaoshou will be played to death by all this?"

"Not really, he's quite tenacious." Ba Zun'an replied expressionlessly, though his neck strained with effort. "It's like this fishing rod. The great river of destiny flows ceaselessly. If no one guides him, he would have perished long ago. And if that old man ever gets out, he'd blame me."

The Storyteller glanced back at the motionless fishing rod in her own hand, thinking, *Isn't it because you're excessively weak now that you can't hold it? What does that have to do with the fishing rod itself? It doesn't want to perish prematurely.*

After a moment of thought, the Storyteller added, "Are you truly not afraid Xu Xiaoshou will resent you for this? He nearly died this time; that was Rao Yaoyao!"

Ba Zun'an remained focused on his struggle with the fishing rod, replying without turning his head, "Not really. The Water Ghost has been watching. Although he said he wouldn't intervene, since I entrusted the matter to him, he won't allow any accidents. And besides, didn't you make two spirit talismans? I will act."

*Can you even act? You can't even hold the fishing rod anymore…* the Storyteller grumbled inwardly. Staring at her own fishing rod, she suddenly asked aloud, "What exactly are we doing here, do you think? Can we really catch fish in this Sijiang River?"

"They will come," Ba Zun'an replied, glancing at her meaningfully.

Just then, a gust of wind rustled from behind. The Storyteller sprang up, alerted, and swiftly landed beside Ba Zun'an, looking up. The newcomer was an old man in white robes, possessing a gentle and refined demeanor. He held a paper fan, his gaze was warm, and his every movement evoked the refreshing breeze of springtime.

"Having fished in Yunlun, and now fishing in Sijiang, it seems this old man must finally take the bait today," the white-robed elder chuckled heartily.

"You've finally arrived…"

Hearing this, Ba Zun'an immediately released his fishing rod, letting it drift away with the current. He stood up, placing his hands, red from exertion, behind his back. His demeanor instantly sharpened, and he declared, head held high, "The great river flows east, unfettered. Since you are no fish, how can you be caught?"

The Storyteller was astonished. To hear such a respectful title as "Mister" from Ba Zun'an's lips filled her with immense awe regarding the newcomer's identity. Who was he?

As these thoughts formed, she saw Ba Zun'an nod slightly to the newcomer, then say with a faint smile, "Junior, I greet you, Mister Siren."