A breakthrough?

Everyone around Luo Leilei reeled back with slight shock. They had not expected Luo Leilei to have surpassed the Innate Stage and entered the Master Stage at such a critical moment.

​​

She had displayed a level of cultivation that few of the older cohorts of the Inner Yard Thirty-Three had shown.

Not to mention she had just recently joined as a member of the Inner Yard Thirty-Three.

Mo Mo studied Luo Leilei's cultivation level, still rising at an incredible pace, and shook her head. "It is not a breakthrough. She broke a seal."

She was rather surprised and wondered who had placed the seal on Luo Leilei in the first place. It must have been a seal placed in advance and slipped past the notice of the dean and the others.

Xu Xiaoshou was dumbstruck. He could not believe it. Had the young woman been suppressing her actual level of cultivation all along?

If she had unleashed her full power when they had fought in the Tianxuan Gate, he might not have had run into the Grey Mist Figure!

Hold on a minute!

If she had unleashed her seal in the Tianxuan Gate when her powers were no match for the Grey Mist Figure, then the laws that governed the world inside the Tianxuan Gate would have destroyed her.

Luo Leilei's sudden breakthrough was an unexpected turn of events that had suddenly shifted the odds in the fight.

The four Master Stage law enforcers stepped forward. They were the only fighters who could take on Luo Leilei, as Zhao Xidong was down for the count.

The remaining law enforcers remained calm and steadily got into formation around them. These law enforcers may not be able to take on a Master Stage cultivator one-on-one, but they could still provide adequate cover when they fought as a team.

Somehow, the law enforcers sensed they were in a precarious situation. Everything was in good order only moments ago, but now the control they had seemed to have slipped from their grasp.

But the presence of the three Sovereign-stage cultivators on the steps eased their anxiety.

Who cared if Luo Leilei was at the Master Stage? With the dean and the other bigwigs there, she would not cause them too much trouble at all!

"The Holy Vassal?"

Ye Xiaotian exclaimed out loud.

He could still join the fight and take Luo Leilei down. But like what Luo Leilei had said, Jiang Bianyan was standing right next to him. He had to spare a thought for the other man's dignity.

Luo Leilei did not answer him.

Upon unleashing Thor's Form, a field of purple electrical pulses crackled around her, and a majestic pair of Purple Lightning Wings sprouted from her back. Luo Leilei gazed down at the four Master Stage law enforcers.

Her four opponents unleashed their cultivation as well. While this young woman was not merely an ordinary Master Stage cultivator, they were not to be trifled with, either.

At that moment, the atmosphere became taut with tension.

A sparrow with a broken leg did not even struggle before it plunged from the old pagoda tree and dropped dead. It lay stiffly on the ground like Zhao Xidong.

The ground was scorched. A fight seemed on the verge of breaking out at any moment.

Jiang Bianyan seized the moment and telepathically sent a message. He said, "Dean Ye, please do not mind me. We have to kill every member of the Holy Vassal. They are the reason I am here. We cannot hold ourselves back, for it is what they expect."

Ye Xiaotian nodded. He would not have allowed Luo Leilei to have her way, even if Jiang Bianyan had not spoken those words.

The incident with Cheng Xingchu had shown that underneath his taciturn, reserved veneer was a man who did not shy away from exploiting his strength to overpower the weak.

"I will take your silence as an affirmation then."

It did not matter to Ye Xiaotian that she was from the Holy Vassal. She had tried to steal the Black Scabbard from the Tianxuan Gate. She might have failed, but her attempt still counted as an unforgivable crime.

Ye Xiaotian raised his hand. The sound of buzzing filled the air.

An incredible power suddenly filled the Heavens and brought with it a deathly silence.

"Shackles of the Abyss?"

Luo Leilei panicked. She might have lightning speed, but it would not help her against such powerful defensive skills.

She did not expect Ye Xiaotian would risk ruining his reputation to fight a female cultivator less powerful than he was. He was not giving her any chances of winning the fight at all!

Luo Leilei's eyes filled with trepidation as she stared across the horizon.

Based on their plan, the Holy Vassal should have already infiltrated the Spirit Palace. The lightning bolt she shot out earlier had been her signal to them.

But there was no sign of them at all.

Life always came with unexpected perils. Her reinforcements had not arrived!

It was then that she spied Xu Xiaoshou, trying to sneak away from the pavilion. She did not know what he was trying to do, but she had an idea about how to take advantage of him.

A sly glint flashed across her eyes. Luo Leilei pretended to act as if they had caught her. She shouted out desperately to Xu Xiaoshou, saying, "Xu Xiaoshou, run!"

Everyone froze instantly before swiveling their heads toward the pavilion.

There, they saw a young man crouching with his palm pressed against his chest. He looked suspicious with one foot out of the pavilion, like he was sneaking away.

Everyone looked surprised.

"Does it mean that Xu Xiaoshou and Luo Leilei are in on this together?"

…

[Flashback to a few moments ago]

A fight was on the verge of erupting. The four Master Stage law enforcers had already surrounded Luo Leilei.

While everyone's attention was on the young woman in the sky, Xu Xiaoshou steadied the metallic ball under his robes and quietly backed away.

Jie had been dying to speak a few times. Fortunately, Xu Xiaoshou seemed able to communicate with it using his spiritual senses. Having pacified it several times, Jie did not cause any commotion.

But Xu Xiaoshou could sense that it was agitated by the murderous tension in the air.

As a puppet from the Slaughter Cape, Jie possessed extremely violent tendencies. If Xu Xiaoshou ignored it, Jie would reveal itself and turn the entire place into a slaughterhouse.

But no matter how powerful Jie was, with three Sovereign Stage cultivators keeping watch, it could not take down all three of them if it tried.

Xu Xiaoshou was not willing to risk it. Besides, he was not a spy or a traitor. There was no point in getting into a fight with people on his side.

Would it not be so much better to sneak away to find a hiding spot far away from the thick of battle? Then he could carefully go through the loot that he had recovered in the Tianxuan Gate.

It was at that point that Luo Leilei shouted out, drawing attention to him.

…

: Suspected, Passive Points +471.

Xu Xiaoshou completely froze on the spot.

He turned around, looking rather silly. He did not know where Luo Leilei had learned to use such nasty tricks. Why was she so adamant in dragging him into her mess?

No!

She was not simply dragging him into her mess. The woman was shoving him right into the gaping jaws of death!

Why would she do something like that?

Then, Xu Xiaoshou remembered how Luo Leilei had extended to him several invitations to join her in the Tianxuan Gate. Was she trying to force his hand because gentle persuasion had not worked?

He looked at the stunned faces staring at him before he saw the expression of astonishment sweeping across the dean's face. Xu Xiaoshou knew he might not get out of the situation with ease.

How was he supposed to explain himself?

It was impossible!

Anyone else would have fallen to their knees and given up instantly. But not Xu Xiaoshou. The cogwheels in his head spun furiously, for at that precarious moment his life hung in the balance.

His face twisted with anguish as he shouted back, "Luo Leilei, I have told you countless times! I am not interested in you! You cannot force happiness! I will not join the Holy Vassal!"

Huh?

A deathly silence descended upon them all as soon as Xu Xiaoshou said that.

It was Luo Leilei who now looked shocked and embarrassed this time around.

She nearly fell from the sky. She stared at the looks of intrigue on everyone's faces and flushed bright red.

"Xu Xiaoshou, what nonsense are you spewing?

: Cursed, Passive Points +1.

: Impressed, Passive Points +366.

: Begrudged, Passive Points +101.

Xu Xiaoshou appeared oblivious and lost in his thoughts. His voice softened to a whisper after the thunderous roar he had released. He seemed to mutter to himself, but everyone could hear him as clear as day.

"I am sorry. I will not leave with you. You are a good person..."

But the Spirit Palace is where my best memories lie. My master is here, and so are my juniors and seniors. The ones who love me and the ones whom I want to kill… um, whom I love are here."

He looked up and stared Luo Leilei directly in the eyes. His voice was resolute as he continued, "I cannot leave!"

His words might seem like the words of a lost soul muttering to himself, but they were but mere distraction trying to hide a single word he had uttered.

Master!

Xu Xiaoshou had not singled out his master. But he could tell from his Sense that Ye Xiaotian and Qiao Qianzhi had lowered their guards as soon as they had heard him mention the word.

He had been right. They knew he was Elder Sang's disciple!

He had promised not to reveal his relationship with Elder Sang, but he had guessed that those old fellows had known all along.

Otherwise, he probably would not have been able to enter the Tianxuan Gate. Ye Xiaotian would not have tasked him with saving the world. He also would not have told Xu Xiaoshou that he was the most trustworthy of the lot.

After hearing what Xu Xiaoshou had said, everyone turned their attention back to Luo Leilei.

The young woman was hovering in midair, looking dumbstruck and horrified. Xu Xiaoshou stared at her with a smug smile on his face.

Hey! She tried to sabotage him, didn't she? Well, she still had a long way to go if she wanted to outwit him!