Chapter 978: Hunting Operation Begins Now

This answer suddenly made Xu Xiaoshou feel invincible.

Previously, he had successfully used his spatial ability to swap elixirs for the Night Watch, without being suppressed by the Law-Forbidden Barrier.

Or rather, the Law-Forbidden Barrier was activated the moment his spatial ability triggered, but Xu Xiaoshou's items had already been transferred to the Night Watch. The subsequent failure of other abilities was not a major concern.

At that time, however, Xu Xiaoshou dismissed it, thinking the Law-Forbidden Barrier's suppression was weak against him due to Water Ghost's special consideration. After all, Water Ghost was one of the Nine Seats of the Holy Slaves, so it was normal to look out for his own.

But now, it seemed Water Ghost hadn't shown him any special consideration at all. The reason his abilities could be used within the Law-Forbidden Barrier was entirely due to the Mimic's power!

“Perhaps my spiritual refining abilities can't be used at all within the Law-Forbidden Barrier, but through the Mimic, I can bypass this restriction?” Xu Xiaoshou's thoughts drifted far away.

He decided to act on the thought instantly! Without hesitation, he activated Cinderflame White Flame, attempting to evaporate the seawater a zhang away with just his gaze.

But it failed.

His Qi Sea spiritual essence couldn't be used at all, so Xu Xiaoshou's Cinderflame ability naturally couldn't be activated.

“Indeed…”

Failure didn't discourage Xu Xiaoshou; on the contrary, it made him even more excited.

“Let's try the Mimic again… If mimicking my Cinderflame ability through the Mimic works… Heh heh!”

Xu Xiaoshou suppressed his excitement, connecting his spiritual consciousness to the Mimic in his Origin Mansion World, and began to “replicate” his own abilities.

If one were to ask who was the easiest person in the world for the Mimic to imitate, the answer would undoubtedly be “himself.” Xu Xiaoshou almost perfectly reproduced his spiritual refining abilities, and through the Mimic, these abilities could even be slightly enhanced.

“Heavenly Cinderflame Incineration!”

With a glance, Xu Xiaoshou, having bypassed the Law-Forbidden Barrier's restrictions through the Mimic, caused a white flame to suddenly bloom in the deep sea, wherever his gaze fell.

A soft popping sound—

The faint sound lasted for less than a breath. The Law-Forbidden Barrier was triggered, and the materialized white flame flower was crushed into nothingness.

“It worked!”

Although the white flame was fleeting, Xu Xiaoshou, seeing the successful verification, had his eyes burst with brilliance.

Without hesitation, he once again summoned the Mimic's power. As he raised his hands, a scorching aura emanated from his body.

“Dragon Melt Domain!”

Beneath the deep sea, within a hundred-zhang radius, continuous rings of white flame suddenly rose from the ground, attempting to enclose from above and below, forming a perfect domain-type spiritual skill. This intertwining of underwater fire, a combination of scorching heat and icy cold, bloomed with an enchanting beauty in the deep sea.

Unfortunately, apart from the incredibly excited Xu Xiaoshou himself, no other audience was present to witness this incredible sight.

It didn't last long. As soon as the fire ability appeared, before the Dragon Melt Domain could fully close, the Law-Forbidden Barrier was triggered again, annihilating everything. But that fleeting deep-sea white flame, which had bloomed with momentary splendor like an epiphyllum, filled Xu Xiaoshou with an overwhelming excitement that he couldn't calm for a long time.

“With the Law-Forbidden Barrier active, sustained spiritual refining abilities, even if I could use them, would be instantly annihilated. However, instantaneous burst-type abilities, like ‘Spatial Displacement’ which then disappear, pose no problem at all! Because after forcibly bypassing the restrictions with the Mimic, by the time the Law-Forbidden Barrier reacts, my ability has already been unleashed…”

Xu Xiaoshou continued to refine his thoughts, and the conclusions he reached became increasingly perfect.

“So, as long as I mimic myself, and only use instantaneous burst-type spiritual refining abilities, I can virtually use… all my spiritual refining abilities at their full power, even in the deep sea? Hiss! This is utterly insane! If I'm this strong, how can anyone else survive?”

Xu Xiaoshou drew a sharp breath, finally understanding why Water Ghost could hide beneath Solitary Sound Cliff, ambushing so many Tai Xu, including Rao Yaoyao. Possessing one of the Ten Great Mystical Weapons, the ‘Sea-Controlling Halberd,’ Water Ghost was equivalent to being able to unleash water-element abilities freely within the Law-Forbidden Barrier. And he himself was a master of Water Element Abyssal Arts! If that's not strong, then what in the world can be called ‘strong’?

“The Sea-Controlling Halberd, with only a single water attribute, was already this powerful. If my Mimic were still on Yi, if he fell into the water, the abilities he mimicked probably wouldn't be very effective, because they would all be annihilated by the Law-Forbidden Barrier. But I am different! I possess all attributes!”

Xu Xiaoshou clenched his fists in excitement, his heart pounding: “With the Mimic on me, this Law-Forbidden Barrier is… completely ineffective against me!”

What did this mean?

—It meant that in this deep sea, while everyone else's condition plummeted to less than ten percent, he could unleash more than a hundred percent of his power!

He thought of Golden Foot and his group of assassins, coveting his head… He thought of Night Owl, the instigator who issued the three-incense black gold bounty… He thought of Rao Yaoyao, who had almost cost him his life on Solitary Sound Cliff… And at this very moment, all of them were in the deep sea, all restricted by the Law-Forbidden Barrier!

“Heh heh, heh heh heh, ha ha ha ha…”

Xu Xiaoshou suddenly started laughing maniacally. It had been a long time since he felt this happy.

Originally, his enemies were all Tai Xu, and as a mere Master, he should have stayed low. But now, with such an excellent opportunity, what reason was there to stay hidden? Among his opponents, apart from Rao Yaoyao and the Ancient Sword Cultivator, whose powers he temporarily needed to avoid, what did he have to fear from the rest?

When his laughter stopped, Xu Xiaoshou's expression changed, and he unleashed his murderous aura wantonly. A morbid, clown-like smile appeared on his lips. No longer content to let his water sphere fall passively, he continuously used the recoil force to propel his water sphere rapidly through the deep sea.

“The hunt begins now!”

In an unknown part of the deep sea.

Inside a continuously descending water sphere, a small boy with a round head and large eyes was slumped, utterly dispirited and weak.

“I'm so tired. When will this finally end? Fortunately, I have enough metal with me. I hope I can last until a ‘turning point’ appears…”

Xiaoren, one of the five Golden Hunt Order assassins, after various attempts over the past period, finally realized that the Law-Forbidden Barrier's suppression of spiritual refiners was all-encompassing and inescapable. He gave up struggling, relaxing his body and pressing against the side wall of the water sphere, using the support to slightly reduce his stamina consumption, in preparation for any unknown dangers that might arise. Numerous colorful metals, stripped of their spiritual essence, floated before him.

For a metal-attributed Tai Xu, the Law-Forbidden Barrier's suppressive power was too great! Xiaoren could only consume metal to maintain his vitality; he couldn't use any other abilities at all!

Suddenly, at one point during the water sphere's descent, a peculiar ability fluctuation seemed to emanate from a distance.

“This is… Fire-element ability? Under the deep sea, within the Law-Forbidden Barrier, how can there be a fire-element ability?”

Xiaoren was startled, thinking of the two Holy Palace Envoys who, like himself, had been hidden in the Heavenly Dao on Solitary Sound Cliff. As expected, the only one capable of using fire-element abilities within the Law-Forbidden Barrier could be a strong individual of Mu Lin's caliber.

“Perhaps the other party possessed some divine objects given by the Cinderflame Half-Saint Long Rong, which could temporarily shield them from the Law-Forbidden Barrier's restrictions? But why would he use fire-element abilities? Did he encounter danger? There are indeed dangers hidden in this deep sea!”

Completely paralyzed, Xiaoren, upon reaching this realization, suddenly straightened up, his eyes scanning his surroundings alertly. He feared that an enemy might suddenly appear and target him while he was in his completely weakened state. The probability of this was very low. Because when acting as an assassin, all his enemies died, so Xiaoren naturally didn't think his identity had ever been exposed.

But it was better to be safe than sorry. Xiaoren extracted a few more high-grade metals. Feeling a slight recovery in his Qi Sea's spiritual essence, which had been almost completely drained, he immediately used his physical strength to propel the water sphere with a recoil, wanting to move away from the area where the fire-element ability had erupted.

“I hope he doesn't come this way…”

The water sphere moved away from the perceived danger zone. But at the same time, it was still rapidly descending. Xiaoren was uneasy; a sudden intuition, typical of a Tai Xu, made him feel that he might have been targeted.

Misfortunes never come singly, blessings never come in pairs. When people are unlucky, even drinking water can get stuck in their teeth, and often, the very thing they fear most will happen.

Before long, before the water sphere had moved far from the so-called ‘danger zone’, Xiaoren, whose spiritual consciousness was useless, could vaguely discern a figure rushing towards him from the distant deep sea through the blurry water sphere wall.

—Directly towards him!

“Thump-thump!”

“Thump-thump!”

His heart began to race. Xiaoren's face showed apprehension, and he was already cursing inwardly. But he couldn't stop the other party's actions.

Soon, the figure approached, coming within a few zhang, and its lateral movement and descent speed matched that of his own water sphere. The two entered a state of relative stillness.

“It's you?”

Recognizing the newcomer's face, Xiaoren's expression changed, and he exclaimed. Outside the water sphere, the uninvited guest was precisely the master of Water Element Abyssal Arts, holding a large halberd and wearing a half golden beast mask, who had blasted everyone on Solitary Sound Cliff into the deep sea.

As for his identity… Unknown!

“Who are you?” Xiaoren, seeing the malicious smile on the other's lips, couldn't help but ask first. He speculated that Mu Lin might have encountered this person, which was why he had used his fire-element ability. The other person's entire body seemed to be completely devoid of power, as if also suppressed by the Law-Forbidden Barrier, showing no hint of it. Even the large halberd in his hand had no trace of spiritual essence fluctuation.

But regardless of power, the halberd's appearance was unmistakably that of the ‘Sea-Controlling Halberd’! And that ‘Lord of the Deep Sea’ holding the halberd, without a protective water sphere around him, could withstand the immense pressure of the deep sea with just his physical body—undoubtedly, this person could use his abilities within the Law-Forbidden Barrier!

“Friend, I don't believe I've offended you, have I?” Seeing the other party remain silent, Xiaoren's eyes narrowed slightly. Knowing his current poor state, and assuming the other party was aware of it, he pleaded, “When you're out and about, always leave a way out. You and I are strangers, with no prior grievances. If you spare me today, I will surely repay you in the future!”

“Heh heh…” The man with the golden beast mask, holding the ‘Sea-Controlling Halberd,’ chuckled softly. His slightly glowing eyes fixed on Xiaoren, and he tilted his head, asking, “How can you repay me?”

“With my life!” Xiaoren, sensing the other party's hesitation, said without hesitation, “If you spare me today, it's equivalent to saving my life… A life-saving grace can only be repaid with one's life!”

“But you were spared by me when you were helpless and alone. How can that be considered saving your life?” The man with the golden beast mask smiled and continued, “If you leave here, and instead of remembering my kindness, you remember my 'extortion of gratitude' in this unique way, and then go back on your word and turn against me… Wouldn't I suffer a loss?”

“Impossible!” Xiaoren shook his head, stating firmly: “Friend, to be honest, I am a ‘Three Incense’ Golden Hunt Order assassin. My arrival here was merely for a minor Holy Slave, Xu Xiaoshou. You and I are strangers, with no old grudges. If I live, my status could bring you considerable benefit in the future, you… Think thrice before you act!” Xiaoren suddenly realized that speaking too much might become annoying, so he dared not say more.

To be honest, I am Xu Xiaoshou, and before acting, I've thought more than thrice… Xu Xiaoshou chuckled to himself.

Using the Mimic to transform into Water Ghost's image, the Sea-Controlling Halberd was merely a preliminary manifestation of water-element abilities and did not possess the true power of the Ten Great Mystical Weapons. But these details were irrelevant! Most importantly, after mimicking Water Ghost, even if he couldn't temporarily master Water Element Abyssal Arts, Xu Xiaoshou could still dissolve the water sphere's restrictions with a little comprehension.

With the water sphere's restraints removed, the sight of such an influential figure, who had previously left a deep impression on everyone, wielding a halberd and moving freely underwater, was enough to intimidate everyone into inaction. Moreover, with everyone restricted by the Law-Forbidden Barrier, strictly speaking, they had no intention of resisting in the first place.

See! The information bar had, so far, only shown messages like ‘Feared’ and ‘Plead,’ with not a single ‘Questioned’ or ‘Suspected’… This, in itself, meant that the assassin Xiaoren opposite him had no doubts about his identity!

“What if I say I must take your life?” Xu Xiaoshou scoffed, waving the illusory ‘Sea-Controlling Halberd.’ His aura of confidence, amplified by ‘Devour Mountains and Rivers,’ grew even larger.

“There's no need!” Xiaoren's face paled in fright. He quickly shook his head and tried to retreat, but there was nowhere to go. He pressed one hand against the water sphere wall behind him and held the other across his chest, appearing extremely vigilant, and desperately tried to persuade, “If I live, I can bring you, my friend, much more assista—”

“Stop!” Xu Xiaoshou impatiently thrust the ‘Sea-Controlling Halberd’ forward, cutting him off, “Three choices!”

Xiaoren's expression froze. But since there were three choices, and he sensed a chance to survive, he quickly bowed and motioned, “Please speak, friend.”

Xu Xiaoshou calmly stated, “One, I take your life.”

“I refuse that option!” Without a second thought, Xiaoren shook his head, rejecting it, and then, humoring the other's peculiar preferences, asked, “What about the second one?”

“Two, I never kill those who are utterly helpless. You can use any means you have to send a message or call for help, even expose my identity, as long as you can get assistance… Afterwards, I will kill you all together.”

Xiaoren was stunned. What kind of option was that? This option also led to death? Ignoring the outcome for now, he seized the opportunity to ask, “May I ask, friend, what is your identity?”

“Heh!” Xu Xiaoshou chuckled, “Facing death, and you still don't know my identity? How truly amusing!” He slanted the Sea-Controlling Halberd downwards, creating ripples in the water, and puffed out his chest slightly. Instantly, an aura of power that could devour rivers and seas arose in the deep sea.

Having done all this, Xu Xiaoshou's gaze became disdainful, and he said coldly:

“Yama, Water Ghost!”