Are they intelligent?

Xu Xiaoshou pondered as he watched the steel puppets retreating.

​​

With his heightened perception, he could "see" through the darkness behind the iron door. These enormous blocks of iron surprisingly curled up and laid on the ground after they entered.

There was a light screen in the rear, but it appeared that the puppets could not go beyond that point.

"Hm, I might just need their help if I want to find the seal of the treasures of suppressing barrier. Perhaps I should explore this option?" Xu Xiaoshou muttered to himself, excited by the idea.

He took no action directly and instead advanced toward the side of Zhou Tiansen.

He couldn't see it from a distance, but upon closer inspection, he realized that this simpleton's body had cracked completely because of the shock. Perhaps the attacks by those large iron blocks had caused them, he thought.

The internal injuries within his body were also severe. Zhou Tiansen's tendons and blood vessels were badly damaged.

Xu Xiaoshou also detected a very sinister "sword will" energy that was gradually compromising his body, wounding all of his internal organs. In all likelihood, he wouldn't survive much longer and would die where he stood.

The most serious…

Xu Xiaoshou carefully pulled part of his garments aside and looked at the broken arm.

The wound had coagulated into a scab. He was unsure if tetanus existed in this world.

It was a miracle that Zhou Tiansen was still alive now!

"Well, I can try my black jade... no, red gold liquids."

Xu Xiaoshou pulled out a homemade jar of honey, scooped out a heap, and stuffed it into Zhou's mouth. Then he scooped out even more and applied it to the wound on Zhou's broken arm.

Searching with his "perception" ability, he couldn't locate the whereabouts of Zhou Tiansen's severed arm. Maybe it had been shredded into pieces during the fight.

"What a pity..."

Still, he doubted that the medicinal effect of the red gold liquid could regenerate another arm. After all, it was only a modified version of the tenth-grade magic pill.

But it was a pity that he didn't have a chance to try it, for Zhou Tiansen suddenly stirred.

"Ahem!"

The blood in his eyes gradually faded, but he still looked rather tired, and there was residual blood in his eyes.

"Xu Xiaoshou?" he said, looking at the youth in front of him with surprise.

He gazed up at the sky behind Xu Xiaoshou, and his eyes almost popped out when he saw what appeared like the start of an apocalypse.

"Oh, My God, what's happening?"

Looking at the shock on Zhou Tiansen's face, Xu Xiaoshou pondered for a moment with his hands clasped, and said, "Alas, time flies like a white horse passing through a gap. Ten thousand years had just passed by in the blink of an eye."

Zhou Tiansen looked stunned.

His pupils dilated sharply, then shrank again.

"Really?"

Xu Xiaoshou glanced at the information bar, and didn't find the "Suspected".

This guy believed it?

He is nothing more than a simple-minded swordsman!

Zhou Tiansen swallowed his saliva with difficulty and said, "You are right, it is the end of the world."

"I remember all those years ago when you were still in…" Xu Xiaoshou said, then paused briefly.

Zhou Tiansen frowned and seemed to ponder...

"The Tianxuan Gate!"

He cried, as something triggered in him and his memories, spanning ten thousand years or more, suddenly flashed across his mind.

Xu Xiaoshou pretended to sigh longingly, and responded, "Yes, the Tianxuan Gate. What a nostalgic name."

"How could it be so? How can this be so?"

Zhou Tiansen suddenly panicked and said, "But, why don't I have the memories of these 10,000 years?"

"Ahh...!"

Xu Xiaoshou instantly put on a look of anguish with a mourning, confused expression in his eyes, and lamented in a whisper.

"I don't have them either..."

"It would seem only two of us have survived!"

He grabbed Zhou Tianshen's shoulders excitedly and said, "We are the Chosen Ones! Only the Chosen Ones can survive and have…"

He stared at Zhou Tianshen's forehead, which was red.

"A third eye!"

Zhou Tiansen was baffled. He seemed to sense that he had something between his eyebrows. He focused his will and felt a vague pain there.

I have the third eye?

"I… I'm the Chosen One?"

He felt a surge of elation in his heart.

"But, why don't you have it?" He looked at Xu Xiaoshou's eyebrows and couldn't find the "Chosen Eye".

"Tsk, tsk, tsk!"

Xu Xiaoshou suddenly laughed wryly, and said, "Of course I don't have it, because I'm a destroyer, not a savior!"

He turned around and walked away.

"You have already lost to me. I will destroy this world by me!"

Xu Xiaoshou knew that when dealing with the hot-blooded youth like Zhou Tiansen, the idea of saving the world could evoke the most primal reactions in their hearts.

"Xu Xiaoshou, stop right there!"

As expected, it upset Zhou Tiansen. "10,000 years ago I lost to you, but now, I will not lose!"

Xu Xiaoshou was on the brink of laughing out a mouthful of blood, and hurriedly departed without turning his head around.

Zhou Tiansen straightened his body twice and found himself still embedded in the wall. He looked up into the sky helplessly.

"Pull me out of here, so we can have a duel!"

"What kind of hero are you?"

...

Xu Xiaoshou arrived at one of the eight iron doors.

But time was running out. He had no intention to fool around with this simpleton any longer because he had the treasures of Suppressing Barrier to search for.

"Tell me honestly, where is the treasure?"

Facing the cowering steel puppets, Xu Xiaoshou raised his fist.

He confronted the first one. But this particular iron lump appeared enraged. Xu Xiaoshou thought to himself—I thought these puppets were in retreat, but this monster is up for a fight. And he doesn't think I'm a person at all!

As the puppet straightened up, Xu Xiaoshou smashed his fist down. With a booming sound, the steel puppet fell to his knees again.

"I know you all have some form of intelligence. Tell me honestly and I'll spare your life," Xu Xiaoshou declared.

The iron lump did not reply. Xu Xiaoshou's immediate response was to employ a common strategy in such situations. "If you don't tell me, I have eight more of your friends remaining for me to extract the answer."

Suddenly, it occurred to him that the puppet might be unable to speak.

"If you can't talk, then just nod your head."

CLANG!

The enormous head of the steel puppet fell to the ground.

Xu Xiaoshou was perplexed and wondered what had just happened. He only asked it to nod its head, not drop it!

Almost in unison, he heard several more clanging sounds outside. He was certain that those were the heads of the other puppets.

Xu Xiaoshou was disconcerted and thought it was rather strange!

Spiritual intelligence?

How can these guys have spiritual intelligence? It should not happen!

And now that all the heads have fallen off. Could it be because…

"Someone is controlling them. Now the controller has taken away the spiritual attribute from them," he muttered.

Having concluded, Xu Xiaoshou turned around and looked at the ground.

To be more precise, he was looking under the ground.

"Who is it?"

His "perception" sensed that the deep under the ground of this black arena of gladiators there was a faint vitality.

It's growing vigorous!

"I'm sure that the treasures of Suppressing Barrier should be located there—perhaps it is the seal!"

Xu Xiaoshou looked toward the shattering sky and realized that the time was limited and it was too late to think any further. He had run out of options.

In his heart, he didn't think that the treasure of Suppressing Barrier could turn the situation around. He rushed to the arena, spreading his hand.

"The Art of Five Fingerprint Seeds!"

His technique generated a high temperature. Xu Xiaoshou thrust his hand down and the arena of gladiators melted through before he touched the ground.

The Infernal Heavens that could burn everything descended in a spiral pattern and bored through the ground until it reached a spot several hundred meters below.

At the depth, the underground life energy greatly surpassed that of ordinary people.

Xu Xiaoshou had a bad feeling, but he thought of the Black Fallen Scabbard and believed that nothing could be stronger than it.

There's no way a person can suddenly emerge from it!

"Heh!"

Xu Xiaoshou laughed wryly. Suddenly, his hand froze.

He touched a black rock. After the Infernal Heavens burned away the surrounding soil, he discovered it was in reality a waist-high black crystal.

Strong life energy was emitting from it.

Xu Xiaoshou thought of the Six-sided Crystal spiritual technique used by the gray fog man to seal Mu Zixi and wondered if this crystal also had a seal in it.

He touched it cautiously.

One punch.

BAM!

No response at all?

Well, there is a crack!

Xu Xiaoshou had enough power now to punch through a mountain, given enough time to do so. Yet, this black crystal had only a mere crack?

BAM!

One more punch.

The cracks looked like a spider's web.

Xu Xiaoshou narrowed his eyes. He was resigned to the possibility that he would be fighting this thing all day!

He raised his fist.

BAM!

BAM!

BAM!

Each time his fist struck, there was a corresponding echo inside the crystal. It seemed to have figured out his punching frequency based on his two previous punches.

He punched the crystal with both of his fists. The black crystal soon opened up.

Xu Xiaoshou was dumbfounded!

Gauging by the force of his punch, he figured that the crystal wouldn't break for sure, even if it took a hundred punches.

But now... it was already broken?

There was no doubt the life energy inside it was doing something!

He looked down and found that the black crystal was already open, gradually revealing the content inside its dusty and hazy interior.

A human head?