He was here to pick someone up…

Ye Xiaotian's expression was inscrutable as he stared at Luo Leilei, who seemed moved beyond words, and thought to himself how impossible this was. He simply couldn't stand for this.

​​

No one could tolerate his sect being intruded by the same group of ruffians twice in a row!

He turned toward Jiang Bianyan. "A high-ranking member of the Holy Vassal has attacked the Spirit Palace. He is at our gates. Hallmaster Jiang, we're counting on you."

Jiang Bianyan nodded. This was why he came to the Tiansang Spirit Palace. The favor he did the Spirit Palace today would soon come in handy.

He turned his gaze to Yu Zhiwen, looking somewhat hesitant. He couldn't let this young woman get involved in a fight between Sovereign Stage cultivators. If she were to get injured…

The astute Yu Zhiwen immediately understood Jiang Bianyan's concerns. "Hallmaster Jiang, please go ahead. I'll stay here."

She eyed the blind youth before her, then glanced at Xu Xiaoshou's scabbard. They were her top priority right now.

"Alright. Be careful."

Having gotten Jiang Bianyan's agreement to help, Ye Xiaotian turned to Qiao Qianzhi. "Hurry, lead Hallmaster Jiang to Xiao!"

"He needs both of us?" Qiao Qianzhi's heartbeat quickened. With Xiao thrown into the mix, they now had five Sovereign Stage cultivators prepared for battle. Did they have the masked man at their gates again?

"It's not the masked man. But the new arrival… is very strong!"

Ye Xiaotian frowned. He clearly knew what Qiao Qianzhi was thinking. However, judging from Xiao Qixiu's message, it appeared that he still couldn't tell who the latest intruder was.

But he knew the masked man well. Someone had convinced him to summon so many people to infiltrate the Spirit Palace. This somebody must be someone extremely dangerous.

"Let's go!" Qiao Qianzhi dared not dally.

"Hold on!" Ye Xiaotian said suddenly just as they were leaving.

The snowy-haired child seemed torn. He stared at the puzzled look on Qiao Qianzhi's face and finally said, "If necessary, deploy the array that you've been studying…"

Qiao Qianzhi's eyes instantly lit up.

"Are you sure?"

Jiang Bianyan was completely lost as he listened to the two speak in riddles. He eyed the middle-aged man who was constantly smiling next to him and suddenly smelled a hint of danger in the air.

Ye Xiaotian sighed in exasperation. "Try your best to protect our own. Don't blow everyone up!"

Qiao Qianzhi was seized by excitement. Seemingly worried that Ye Xiaotian might regret his decision, Qiao Qianzhi vanished instantly without a trace.

Jiang Bianyan froze.

"Go. Leave this to me." Ye Xiaotian's gaze fell upon the blind youth again. He could also see the masked man's shadow in the distance.

Where else was he going to be if not at the gates of the Tiansang Spirit Palace?

Would that old geezer Sang be able to hold the fort…?

Jiang Bianyan turned and left, and Ye Xiaotian returned to his fight with the blind youth. He was about to make his move when he caught the blind youth pulling another jadestone out.

Ye Xiaotian was speechless.

It struck him then. This was what the masked man had planned all along. He was going to have a mere master swordsman trap him, one of the Spirit Palace's most powerful fighters, in a fight while he attacked the Spirit Palace from another location.

What a crafty man!

"Release her," the blind youth said calmly.

"Don't be naïve!" Ye Xiaotian laughed incredulously. "Do you really think you can keep me here with that stupid little rock in your hand?"

"You're wrong…"

Lei Shuangxing shook his head and pulled out another jadestone. "It's two stupid rocks."

Ye Xiaotian found himself at a loss for words.

Xu Xiaoshou nearly laughed out loud. Deadpanned humor like this was the deadliest. The young man had a talent for making people fold over with laughter.

The dean's voice appeared in everyone's heads then.

"Fall back right now!"

This wasn't a fight that law enforcers should get involved in.

They'd been tasked with entering the Tianxuan Gate to conduct repairs on the world. Bumping into Xu Xiaoshou, who'd been tasked with the perilous task of planting the Sky Tree, was merely a coincidence. Their mission had then shifted to that of capturing the spies.

But they were useless when it came to fights between incredibly powerful fighters like Ye Xiaotian. Hanging around was only going to get them killed.

The blind youth might possess no spiritual cultivation at all, but as a master swordsman, he could easily crush multiple Master Stage cultivators.

They mustn't forget the jadestones in his possession too. Few of them would walk out of this alive if they tried to attack him rashly.

"Let's go!"

Xu Xiaoshou was overjoyed when he heard that he could finally leave. He might be able to control himself, but Jie couldn't for much longer.

It shook ceaselessly and with violent excitement underneath his clothes like a metallic ball that had come into contact with electricity…

The law enforcers began to disperse. But Lei Shuangxing wasn't going to let them go anywhere. They were the ones keeping him alive. Letting them leave was akin to suicide.

He thought hard. The floor began to shake loudly as gravel rose into the air. Countless sword energies appeared out of nowhere, flooding the sky with what appeared like a flood of blades as they surrounded the law enforcers.

A Master Stage Sword Will!

The law enforcers were trapped. The sword energy-infused gravel hovering in the air exuded a menacing Sword Will that could easily pierce human flesh.

"All Swords to the Master?"

Xu Xiaoshou was caught by surprise… He knew that move too!

During his battle with the grey mist figure in the Tianxuan Gate, he'd gained progress in his Sword Technique Expertise. As a result, through the stripping of a thousand trees, he could now form a complete understanding of the Great Path, and through the gathering of ten thousand leaves, he could form a sword.

It shouldn't take a lot of work to take apart the blind youth's trap.

He set aside his eagerness to take up that challenge and instead rushed toward Mu Zixi. This was an emergency. Finding a safe place to hide themselves should be their top priority.

"Hurry up! We need to get ourselves to the Spiritual Library Division!"

It appeared that few places in the Spirit Palace were safe now. The Spiritual Library Division should be one of them.

Perhaps Elder Sang was still in the Spiritual Library Division refining pills. With him around, the masked man wouldn't be able to kidnap Xu Xiaoshou, even if he managed to find him.

Mu Zixi leaned against the pillar and wouldn't budge. She looked like she was in great pain.

"What's wrong?"

"It hurts…" The young woman's eyes were shut tight, her face deathly pale.

Xu Xiaoshou froze. Why was she making things difficult for them in the middle of an emergency?

"What hurts?"

After a moment's pause, he asked uncertainly, "Is it your tummy?"

Mu Zixi was speechless.

"Cursed, Passive Points +1."

"My head!"

Xu Xiaoshou reached out and felt her forehead. It was burning. What was wrong with this young woman? She'd been fine a moment ago…

"Is there something wrong with your head?"

She was a spiritual cultivator. She should be immune to fevers!

Mu Zixi seemed to be in a world of pain. She cradled her head with her hands and appeared to have lost her ability to curse.

"Xu Xiaoshou, save me…ah!"

Xu Xiaoshou dabbed some honey on her immediately. He had no idea what was going on with Mu Zixi. The honey was the only thing he had on him that could possibly save her life.

He prayed that the Amber Juice could help with the fever…

"Hang in there! I'll bring you to the Spiritual Library Division and to Elder Sang. He should be able to save you!"

He lifted Mu Zixi into his arms. The young woman was such a petite little thing. She hadn't been able to walk straight in the Tianxuan Gate due to the snow and wind and she hardly weighed anything at all in his arms.

At that thought, Xu Xiaoshou pulled out the Spirit Mark of Life and, in a series of practiced moves, tugged her clothes open and shoved the spirit mark inside.

"Hang in there!"

…

The law enforcers were starting to panic. With Zhao Xidong and the four Master Stage cultivators down, they were suddenly left with no leadership.

No one could be bothered with what Xu Xiaoshou was doing. They were all busy trying to get out of the predicament they were stuck in.

The sword energy-infused gravel wasn't something they could get around easily. It was as prickly as a porcupine. It remained still as long as they did, but as soon as they made the slightest move, it would stab them right in the face and make them bleed.

Ye Xiaotian's white hair stirred slightly in the breeze as he stared at the numerous law enforcers lying on the ground, clearly enraged.

Had the blind punk no regard for his presence at all?

Before he could do anything, Lei Shuangxing spoke again. "I forgot. Our leader told me to deliver a message."

Ye Xiaotian scoffed. "What message?"

"Have you recovered from your amputation?"

Ye Xiaotian felt the spot where his arm had been severed throb with a phantom pain when he heard those words.

His finger joints creaked violently as he tightened his fists. His voice came out in a forced whisper, "Thanks for the concern. My arm's grown back. It can once again cut down the Holy Vassal!"

Lei Shuangxing laughed softly. "Our leader said to chop it off a second time if you grew one back."

"Hahaha!"

Ye Xiaotian burst into laughter, eyes were ablaze with derision. "I would take that as a genuine threat if he were here in person. But there's no one but you and your jadestones. What can you do?"

"Are you going to fight me blind?"

Lei Shuangxing wasn't angered. He calmly clutched the jadestone in his hand, ready to crush it any moment. "It can lock onto a target."

The hundreds of law enforcers present were dumbstruck. Did that mean… he'd targeted the Spirit Palace's array earlier?

This meant that he could hit anyone that he wanted, didn't it?

Judging from the strength of the earlier attack, the dean himself would find it a feat to counter it!

The sword energy-infused gravel around them suddenly unleashed a second wave of sword energy and sent the gravel sinking into the ground.

The next moment, a young man dashed past the Council Hall. He had a look of panic on his face and a young woman in his arms. He sped past Lei Shuangxing and dashed off, heading straight for the small path that Lei Shuangxing had taken.

"I'm sorry, I have an urgent matter to attend to. I'll make a move first. You guys continue talking."