Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

: Doubted, Pa.s.sive Points +1.

: Doubted, Pa.s.sive Points +1.

“Huh?”

The spiritual source Cen Qiaofu had unconsciously emanated rattled Xu Xiaoshou. He wore a pained expression on his face as he felt his body go numb all over.

He was just an old man and was the victim of a collision, yet even after Xu Xiaoshou crashed into him, he could still make a sarcastic jibe.

Xu Xiaoshou then noticed several individuals, all at Sovereign Stage, arriving right behind Cen Qiaofu just when he was about to respond to his sarcasm. All of them hovered in midair with a very intimidating bearing.

But they were quite a disturbing sight to behold, for they had blood and deep gashes all over their bodies.

Xu Xiaoshou couldn't help twitching his brow at the sight of them.

“What the h.e.l.l?”

He then saw the blood-stained ax in Cen Qiaofu's hand and immediately knew what had happened.

Xu Xiaoshou felt lucky that he had chosen not to argue with this old man wielding an ax. He deduced that he must have come from the Holy Va.s.sal as well.

Did the old man cut them all up on his own?

Xu Xiaoshou's face went pale, and his aura dropped so low that it likely touched the ground. Then, he just nodded and answered the old man, Cen Qiaofu.

“Yeah, I am a hedgehog.”

Cen Qiaofu was speechless.

He was at a loss for words with the answer that he got.

Cen Qiaofu ignored Xu Xiaoshou, seeing him as no more than an insect at the Origin Court Stage, and turned his attention to the two who were fighting an intense battle.

Elder Sang fixed his eyes on the masked man from afar as he trapped the terrifying sword aura with his hands. Its power would have sent s.h.i.+vers down anybody else's spine.

Crackle! Crackle!

The blast of the Sword Aura crackled with energy as it was about to rip the night sky apart. But it suddenly dissipated without a trace. There was not even a whiff of the sword energy lingering in the air afterward.

The Infernal Heavenly Flames technique was capable of incinerating anything in its path.

And the image of Elder Sang destroying the sword aura with his bare hands shocked Cen Qiaofu to the core.

“Who are you?” asked Cen Qiaofu.

Evidently, the old man who now stood before him was in a different league from the other younger ones he encountered.

Cen Qiaofu vaguely recalled that he had seen such a technique somewhere before, but he could not place it.

d.a.m.n! It was perhaps because this guy, although old, was still not from his era, Cen Qiaofu thought.

“Cen Qiaofu?” said Elder Sang.

Cen Qiaofu did not recognize Elder Sang. But judging from the sudden change in his expression, it appeared the old man knew Cen Qiaofu.

“Why are you here too?” asked Elder Sang.

Cen Qiaofu was shocked when he heard the tone of Elder Sang's voice. For it was a tone used when a person was familiar with the other.

Hmm, so, it appears many Juniors know me.

He unconsciously straightened his slouched back a little, and he wore a faint look of pride on his face without realizing it. “You know me?” he asked.

Elder Sang said nothing as he turned to face the masked man again. He pulled his hat down slightly, and darkness shrouded over his face.

“I have previously advised all of you to stay out of the Spirit Palace.”

The masked man's expression immediately changed and he called out, “Qiaofu!”

Cen Qiaofu looked at the masked man, puzzled at what was taking place.

Judging from the way the old man with the hat spoke, Cen Qiaofu sensed the old man intended to make sure he never got to leave.

“Hehe, hehe, you sure like to brag.”

Crackle! Crackle!

Cen Qiaofu sensed that the temperature of the air around him spiking right after he spoke. The ground suddenly dried up and the sky appeared like a mirage as the heat rose and the sun roasted everything around him.

Fzzzzz!

A ring of white flames burst from the ground, making an enormous circle that encircled the three of them within.

The ground rumbled and without warning, a great column of white flames over hundreds of meters high engulfed all three of them.

Temperatures soared incredibly and the sky now looked hazy, as if it had been turned into a clear crystal and flowing down to earth.

“The Dragon Melting Realm?”

The masked man was shocked by what he saw, and shouted, “Are you out of your mind?”

Everyone else stranded outside the wall of flames was awed and in a stupor. They discovered that the white flames of the Dragon Melting Realm could even burn down Spiritual Sense, preventing those on the outside from knowing what was happening within.

Somehow, Xu Xiaoshou was able to use his Sense to penetrate the flames. but it was scorching hot, and he felt as if his entire body was about to catch fire.

: Attacked, Pa.s.sive Points +1.

: Attacked, Pa.s.sive Points +1.

“What?”

His Information Bar kept refres.h.i.+ng with those lines repeatedly, making him feel somewhat anxious.

He badly wanted to shut his Sense off, but the pa.s.sive skill did not give him such an option.

“So, the old geezer is seriously so powerful, huh?”

Xu Xiaoshou then realized he had never seen Elder Sang in a duel before. Even when the masked man invaded Goose Lake in the past, Elder Sang had taken care of everything in a blink of an eye.

It was Xu Xiaoshou's first time seeing Elder Sang going all out like that.

Like a breeze blowing, Qiao Qianzhi flew to Xu Xiaoshou's side.

“Xiaoshou? Why are you here?”

Ye Xiaotian was shocked to find the kid there as well.

Why was the kid everywhere?

Had the merits of previously fighting Lei Shuangxing gotten to his head, and he took it upon himself to teach the masked man a lesson as well?

It sure is bold for someone who was merely at the Innate Stage.

“Did I not tell you to hide somewhere?” Ye Xiaotian asked, rather annoyed.

“Yeah, I came to hide!” answered Xu Xiaoshou with a nod.

“Why the h.e.l.l are you here, then? Looking to get a beating?”

Ye Xiaotian a.s.sessed Xu Xiaoshou's condition, expecting to find injuries on the young man. But to his shock, he realized that, except for his messy clothes, the young man was unscathed.

“Hiding means getting home, right? This place is where I live now. Where else could I go?” Xu Xiaoshou answered innocently.

Ye Xiaotian glared at the kid in exasperation.

He chose not to answer the cheeky lad.

Soon, Xiao Qixiu recovered after taking Elder Sang's pills. He finally staved off the decay of his Great Path and headed toward Xu Xiaoshou.

“Good work back there,” Xiao Qixiu said to the kid.

Ye Xiaotian slapped Xiao Qixiu's shoulder as a gesture of appreciation. The way he saw it, it was because of Xiao Qixiu that Xu Xiaoshou stayed alive.

However, Xiao Qixiu shook his head. He had a perplexed look as he looked at Xu Xiaoshou. He hesitated a little before he sighed and spoke.

“It was not me this time. If it had not been for the kid, I am afraid I would already be dead right now.”

When they heard what Xiao Qixiu said, everyone looked astonished. Even Jiang Bianyan, who arrived late, looked surprised as well.

How could someone at a mere Innate Stage do battle with the masked man?

Xu Xiaoshou felt a little embarra.s.sed. When he saw the look of disbelief on everyone around him, he grinned with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes and pointed at the white flaming realm.

“You see that? The sword wound on the masked guy? It was my doing.”

For a brief moment, it seemed time stood still. Everyone froze.

Qiao Qianzhi slapped Xu Xiaoshou on the head. If they were not facing such dire circ.u.mstances, he would have probably laughed out loud.

“You idiot. Bragging again, huh?” Qiao Qianzhi snarled.

: Doubted, Pa.s.sive Points +3.

However, as soon as his hand touched Xu Xiaoshou's head, it was forcibly repelled. Qiao Qianzhi looked at his hand in shock.

He then looked at Xu Xiaoshou, who was still grinning, and felt that the kid now appeared to be very different from before.

Xiao Qixiu then took a deep breath, and said, “True, it really was his doing.”

: Doubted, Pa.s.sive Points +3.

Xu Xiaoshou frowned and shook his head after viewing the Information Bar.

Well, so much for that. Even when the truth was right before them, they still refused to believe it.

Seeing their expression turn from suspicion to shock, he could not help but mumble, “It was just one strike. It is not such a big deal.”

No one said anything.

Xiao Qixiu glared at him.

: Cursed, Pa.s.sive Points +1.

“Are they going to fight it out, then?”

Xu Xiaoshou said as he cast his eyes on the white flaming realm, paying no further attention to the Sovereign Stage individuals around him. They then stared at the flames as well.

The blazing flames were blinding to the eyes. The Infernal Heavenly Flames were formless and colorless, and it was something Xu Xiaoshou had only witnessed for a second time.

Yeah, the first time was when he was picking up the Infernal Heavens.

“Returning to its origins then?”

Xu Xiaoshou was mulling over it when Qiao Qianzhi whacked him on the head again.

It took Xu Xiaoshou by surprise.

The hit was not painful, but it shocked him, as it would anyone unwary.

“What now?” asked Xu Xiaoshou, wondering what he did wrong.

Qiao Qianzhi wiped away the tears at the corner of his eyes, hissing as he added, “You are bragging again! I cannot see anything here, and yet you make it sound like you can see everything through it!”