Chapter 986: 参月 Immortal City Big Mouth

Beneath the deep sea.

Within a blurry water sphere, a figure floated, struggling weakly, surrounded by many opened, empty pill bottles.

"Another corpse of a Dao Severance practitioner..."

After dealing with the Gold-Swallowing Dragon, Xiao Kongtong continued his journey alongside his senior, the Water Ghost.

Along the way, he had lost count of the number of corpses he had seen.

Most of them were Throne-level trial officers, and some were Dao Severance practitioners.

It seemed that, apart from those at the Void level, no Spirit Cultivator could endure the increasingly terrifying spirit energy draining power of the water spheres until this point.

"Perhaps, this is the true nature of the Saint Servant..." Xiao Kongtong sighed silently.

He also took lives, but as the senior disciple of San Yue Immortal City, he rarely killed those weaker than himself.

Firstly, it was beneath him; secondly, Spirit Cultivators were not easy to nurture. Unless someone truly sought death or it was his master's command, Xiao Kongtong disdained to act and slaughter the innocent.

However, now following the Water Ghost senior, with dozens of corpses of Throne and Dao Severance practitioners strewn across the deep sea, he truly witnessed the dark side of the Saint Servant organization.

"My master assigned me the task of San Yue Immortal City, and although I killed many people to clear obstacles during the city's establishment, at least every person who died by my sword was of equal standing. I remember their names, and after their death, their comrades also remembered their names and their past achievements. But these beneath the deep sea died silently, passing away in obscurity. Truly, they were just cannon fodder, sacrificed prematurely in the struggle for the Great Dao."

Xiao Kongtong followed silently, a mix of emotions churning in his heart.

He knew his master had been very good to him; the hidden Tenth Seat of the Saint Servant, though seemingly without official status, preserved his right to walk in the light.

As for the past of people like the Water Ghost senior... Xiao Kongtong gazed at the Water Ghost senior's silent and calm back, leading the way, and sighed inwardly.

He thought about how the Nine Seats of the Saint Servant had been on the run from the Holy Divine Palace's pursuit over the years.

The Storyteller's faction, after being dismantled in the Central Region, fled all the way to the Eastern Region, finally returning to his master's side.

He figured the deaths of these minor figures must be commonplace for the Saint Servant seniors by now.

Xiao Kongtong cast aside his thoughts, took another step to follow the Water Ghost senior's pace, wanting to get closer and ask why so many nameless people had to die beneath the deep sea.

But as he got closer...

For some reason, Xiao Kongtong felt a sense of gloom emanating from the Water Ghost senior.

Although it was clearly not due to the silent deaths of mere nobodies, Xiao Kongtong felt that the Water Ghost senior must have recalled something unpleasant from the past amidst this massive death toll.

He remained silent, deciding to be an observer.

"This is the dark side of the Saint Servant?"

After mimicking the Water Ghost's identity, Xu Xiaoshou, for the first time, unexpectedly encountered such heart-wrenching methods of the Saint Servant beneath the deep sea.

The corpses floating within each passing water sphere had died in such a miserable state that it was beyond words.

This reminded him of Shouye.

After all, Shouye was also only at Dao Severance. If everyone else died so tragically, could Shouye possibly transcend?

It wasn't that Xu Xiaoshou hadn't seen bloody massacres before.

During his time in the Eight Palaces, when Ba Zun'an slew seven hundred white-robed cultivators to send Elder Sang off, he personally witnessed those seven hundred white-robed figures lie down without any ability to resist.

But the methods used then were completely incomparable to the current scene.

At that time, the seven hundred white-robed cultivators lay down painlessly, killed with a single strike. Even in death, these hundreds of people never let out any unnecessary screams.

The water spheres beneath the deep sea were different. Spirit Cultivators were drained of their spirit energy alive until death. Their experiences before death, the meaning of their death, their past, and why they had to die... Some of these things Xu Xiaoshou could imagine, others he couldn't imagine at all.

But he knew these were the Water Ghost's methods.

And for the Water Ghost to be able to use such terrifying methods so calmly, it must have been commonplace for him.

"So, there aren't so many 'whys' in this world. Sometimes, when natural or man-made disasters strike, they can snatch away everything you currently possess without explanation. The only thing one can do in such a situation is to strive to become the person who can withstand the collapse of the heavens. Protecting oneself is already difficult; protecting others is even harder."

Xu Xiaoshou suddenly felt a surge of emotion.

He was no longer the young man from Tianxang Spiritual Palace; he wouldn't fall into confusion without realizing it just by killing someone or seeing a corpse.

While the Water Ghost's methods were indeed terrifying, the only thing Xu Xiaoshou could think of at that moment were his relatives and acquaintances.

Just as he only wanted to protect the people of Heavenly Tower One during the Ling Que trade fair, the further he walked, the more Xu Xiaoshou understood...

There were no saints in this world!

"Xiao Kongtong, have you ever witnessed a true struggle for the Great Dao?" Xu Xiaoshou suddenly stopped before a water sphere containing a floating corpse and asked thoughtfully.

A struggle for the Great Dao?

The senior disciple of San Yue Immortal City, who was following closely behind, was startled at the question. He instinctively thought that the Water Ghost senior wasn't simply unworldly and asking out of curiosity, but rather that he believed Xiao Kongtong was accustomed to the light and unfamiliar with the dark world, and thus wanted to enlighten him.

"I didn't realize Senior Water Ghost was not only considerate and warm, but also incredibly meticulous..." Xiao Kongtong murmured with emotion, smiling slightly, and nodded.

"Senior, there's no need to enlighten me. All actions of the Saint Servant must have my master's approval, and as his student, I will not question anything my master wishes to do. As for the struggle for the Great Dao..."

He paused, also looking at another floating corpse in front of him, his expression becoming a little more solemn: "If we're talking about tragedy, who could be more tragic than the Lei clan? They were truly innocent!"

The Lei clan?

Xu Xiaoshou's mind instantly flashed with images of the silver-haired Lei Xi'er and her brother, Lei Shuangxing.

He turned around, his expression shifting subtly. Without revealing anything, he said, "You're also aware of the Lei clan's affairs? I imagine what San Yue Immortal City has learned and what I know are like black and white, likely different. Why don't you tell me?"

Xiao Kongtong had no suspicions. He clicked his tongue a few times, sighing in admiration.

"Lei Shuangxing is truly pitiful. I originally thought my master wanted to cultivate him as a successor, so I secretly investigated this boy's identity before. To my surprise, I found out something shocking. Back then, the Lei clan was utterly tragic. After the fall of their Half-Saint, they failed to produce a new Saint for too long, thus they were downgraded to a Void-level aristocratic family. Later, because the Heavenly Dao Punishment power wielded by their clan was too great, and the Lei family's childlike arts were astonishingly powerful, they became targets of envy. Any attempt to produce a new Saint would inevitably cause trouble, so they were too fearful to advance. Who would have thought that while other aristocratic families sought a Saint for self-preservation, for the Lei family, possessing a treasure without the power to protect it was their primary sin. And so, the Dao clan, one of the Five Great Saint Emperor Families, after suppressing the Lei clan for many years, directly and forcefully seized the Lei family's authority. The Heavenly Dao Punishment power, the Lei family's childlike arts... all of it. Under a slight pretext, the Dao clan swept through them like an invading army, then completely eradicated them, and the thousand-year-old Lei family was reduced to ashes. How tragic, how lamentable!"

Xiao Kongtong's face was filled with regret. He didn't care about revealing such a great secret in front of someone he considered his own.

In fact, in his eyes, the Water Ghost senior probably knew even more than he did. Therefore, he didn't elaborate on the details of the Lei clan's destruction, only mentioning what he had uncovered that directly pointed to its root cause.

"Startled, Passive Points, 1."

Xu Xiaoshou's eyelids twitched wildly as he listened.

"Good heavens, you know such intricate details?"

He had also heard scattered rumors about the Lei clan tragedy, but piecing them together only gave him a vague outline and the knowledge that there was injustice involved.

But he never imagined that it involved Saint Emperors and such a bloody struggle for power!

"The Dao clan..."

Xu Xiaoshou mused, thinking of Dao Qiongcang.

But he didn't directly ask about the Five Great Saint Emperor Families, as it wouldn't fit the Water Ghost's persona. Since Xiao Kongtong was willing to speak, he didn't mind subtly adding fuel to the fire.

For such contemporary secrets, Xu Xiaoshou had asked Ba Zun'an, Elder Sang, and indirectly many, many others.

But no matter how he asked, everyone's answer was always, "You're still young, your cultivation level is too low. Don't ask what you shouldn't."

Xu Xiaoshou was utterly curious.

At this moment, he finally discovered the true utility of Xiao Kongtong, the great bodyguard of San Yue Immortal City. He immediately started prompting, following the lead, and chimed in:

"Indeed, the Dao clan, and a few other clans..."

He couldn't go on.

Xu Xiaoshou didn't know how to conclude his sentence effectively.

He knew nothing about the Five Great Saint Emperor Families, not even who was among them.

At that moment, he could only "tsk-tsk" twice, ending his words with a meaningful smile, and looking at Xiao Kongtong, signaling with his eyes that he was patient and ready to listen to him confide more to his 'Water Ghost' senior.

Xiao Kongtong couldn't escape the guiding power of the Water Ghost senior's smile.

He was like a treasure chest filled with too many trivial parts; once the lid was opened and someone rummaged through it, trying to pour something out, what followed was an unstoppable torrent...

"Exactly!"

With a tone of complaint, the senior disciple of San Yue Immortal City, as if something related to the Dao clan had come to mind, said with a look of grievance:

"The Five Saint Emperor Families: Yue, Bei, Hua, Rao, Dao. If it weren't for these people sitting firmly at the peak of the clouds, why would Void-level cultivators be so timid and dare not break through? Why would Half-Saints be melancholically confining themselves? Others might not know, but I've figured it out clearly these past years! The battle outside the City of Dead Pagodas where my master fought — if a Saint Emperor hadn't intervened, how could Sword Immortal Hua have directly slain the Eighth Sword Immortal in three strikes? That's simply unrealistic!"

Are there really different versions of the story?

Xu Xiaoshou's heart pounded as he listened, and he too wore an indignant expression. Even if his current emotions didn't quite match the Water Ghost's identity, he was determined to uphold Xiao Kongtong's freedom of speech:

"What you said... is absolutely correct!"

Xiao Kongtong grew more and more agitated as he spoke. Now, having received affirmation, he even started gesturing wildly with his hands as he continued:

"At that time, Hua Chang... uh, Sword Immortal Hua hadn't yet become a Saint, and my master was the foremost among those below the Half-Saint realm. Even at his worst, he wouldn't have lost to that guy in swordsmanship. My master's talent is one in a million years! If it weren't for the Saint Emperors suppressing him from above, why would he have wasted decades forming the Saint Servant organization, and gathering the power of Void Island, all to resist this unequal power crushing? What a pity..."

His voice abruptly ceased. Xiao Kongtong seemed to have thought of something and fell into a state of melancholy, unable to pull himself out of it for a long time.

Xu Xiaoshou, it seemed, had not yet recovered his composure from the information spilled by this loudmouth.

The establishment of the Saint Servant was originally to oppose the Five Great Saint Emperor Families?

According to this loudmouth from San Yue Immortal City, the Five Great Saint Emperor Families were "Yue, Bei, Hua, Rao, Dao," right?

Dao, is that Dao Qiongcang?

Rao, is that Rao Yaoyao?

Hua... hmm, the only one who fits is the Seventh Sword Immortal, Hua Changdeng.

So, a Saint Emperor helped Hua Changdeng, and that's why he defeated Ba Zun'an?

Damn it, that's a bit insidious. Even I feel indignant for Ba Zun'an...

But this certainly fits Hua Changdeng's background; he must also be from one of the Five Great Saint Emperor Families.

So, as for the remaining "Yue" and "Bei"... Who could they be?

Xu Xiaoshou had barely heard of these two surnames.

He racked his brain, finally recalling that for the surname "Bei," only "Bei Huai" from the Ten Venerable Seats might fit.

Bei Huai?

He hadn't heard of his deeds...

What about "Yue"?

This time, Xu Xiaoshou was even more confused.

His "Perception" granted him super memory, yet in his entire life, he seemed to have never encountered anyone with the surname "Yue."

"What a pity about what?"

When Xu Xiaoshou, still wanting more, regained his senses, he picked up on Xiao Kongtong's words and asked again. This bigmouth from San Yue Immortal City was truly useful; he dared to say whatever he thought, completely without reservation!

Xiao Kongtong failed to notice anything amiss in time, still shaking his head in melancholy.

"Senior, do you think the word 'love' is truly so mysterious in a person's life? Even a powerhouse like my master couldn't escape it..."

Xu Xiaoshou's expression immediately stiffened.

"Your question really hit me... right in the heart!"

"I've lived two lives, and I haven't even had a proper relationship yet!"

"You also... *cough*, you haven't had a girlfr... *Pah*, you haven't had a partner?" Xu Xiaoshou spoke in broken phrases, forcefully swallowing the "also" that should have been there.

Xiao Kongtong's face flushed. When asked directly, he didn't notice the subtle details, merely his gaze wandering as he said, "I'm devoted to the Way of the Sword and pay no heed to worldly affairs, so 'Love Sword Arts' is my weakest area..."

He paused, seemingly embarrassed to linger on this question, and chose to change the subject.

"My master's Love Sword Arts are strong, but they were both his making and his undoing. He shouldn't have entered the world back then, you see? And sure enough, he couldn't escape!" He spread his hands.

Xu Xiaoshou's expression grew strange.

It was then that his thoughts returned to the main topic.

So, Ba Zun'an's misfortune involved a "woman"?

This was just too... something!

Xu Xiaoshou didn't know how to comment at the moment.

He had never heard even a single mention from outsiders that a woman's shadow was involved in Ba Zun'an's battle with Hua Changdeng back then.

This truly piqued his curiosity.