I Am Loaded With Passive Skills

by Stayrr

Outer yard disciple of the Tiansang Spirit Palace, Xu Xiaoshou, had average talent. However, after coming out of his death seclusion, he realized that everything had changed. He had received a Passive System with many strange, miraculous passive skills: He would become stronger with every breath. He would become stronger when he got attacked. He would become stronger when he got m

1. 1

Read I Am Loaded with Passive Skills Chapter 1 online for free - AllNovelFull

Chapter 1: Black Wheel

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

"Darn it!"

When Xu Xiaoshou opened his eyes again, he found that everything had changed.

The only things he could see were a ceiling covered in spider webs, a small wooden table cloaked in dust, a candle stub that had been fully burnt, as well as a black sword that had a powerful spiritual aura.

This room's décor was drastically different from that of his hospital ward.

Xu Xiaoshou tilted his head and searched his memory. He remembered that he had finally kicked the bucket after optimistically battling with his illness for three years.

The pain had ended. He had waved his hands and bade farewell to the heavens. However, he'd still felt indignant.

Why did other people have such vibrant lives, and yet he had to be confined to the hospital ward after nine years of compulsory education?

School and hospital. Those were painful words for people, yet those two things had taken up his entire life.

As for now…

He looked around at his foreign yet familiar surroundings, then pinched himself all over. However, he didn't really feel any pain.

"Did God take pity on me? Did I cross over to another world without pain?"

Xu Xiaoshou shifted his gaze to the bronze mirror on the table and saw a new, yet just as handsome face.

He looked like an 18-year-old teenager with a pale complexion. He looked as though he hadn't been in the sun for a long time. He had a tall nose that separated the few freckles on both sides of his face, and his lips were dry and cracked.

"Not bad. I'll look better after I get a little tanner and eat a little more. Especially these few freckles…"

Xu Xiaoshou puckered his lips and rubbed the dead skin on his lips away. He searched back through his memories, trying to find out why he was so withered and scrawny.

This person had been an outer yard disciple of the Tiansang Spirit Palace. Unfortunately, he only had average talent. He had entered the spirit palace for three years, yet had only reached Level Three of the ten levels of spiritual cultivation. He had engaged in death seclusion for one month, determined to achieve a breakthrough to deal with the Windcloud Competition.

He'd rather die than not succeed!

In the end, he had died…

Xu Xiaoshou shook his head with pity. This person had known that he wouldn't be able to break through to Level Four. He had been subjected to mockery and sarcasm these last three years and had gotten the heart to die.

He had only used the death seclusion this time as a reason and an excuse to follow through with his plan.

It was a different world and a different set of troubles. Xu Xiaoshou had been tortured physically, while this person had been ravaged mentally.

Both of their lives were pitiful.

"However, since I've been given this chance, I will never be defeated by the rumors and slander," Xu Xiaoshou thought to himself. He continued to drudge up fragments of memory, and his expression turned dark.

As it turned out, the Windcloud Competition was equivalent to a year-end exam. This person had placed last for two years. He would have to pack up and leave the Tiansang Spirit Palace if he lost again this year.

It was no wonder that he had engaged in death seclusion. It looked like he'd had no other choice…

Xu Xiaoshou was put in a predicament. Why had he been put in such a stressful situation the moment he'd crossed over to this world? A year-end exam? And elimination, no less, if he ranked last?

As a person who had experienced exams before, he was most terrified of them. This was especially so since he lacked both soft and hard power at the moment.

More terrifyingly, there was no dark technology in this world, so he couldn't cheat…

His thoughts were running wild. He nearly finished retrieving all his memories. Then, his soul shook and he seemed to have fully fused with this body.

The next second, a black wheel appeared in his mind.

"…" Xu Xiaoshou thought.

"So there is dark technology in this world?"

He quickly looked into his mind and closely examined the black wheel.

The black wheel was rather simple in design. It looked like a product from a roadside stall and didn't look particularly valuable. Xu Xiaoshou severely doubted that this piece of dark technology had been placed here just to appease him.

The base of the wheel was split into two sections, one gold and the other red.

Interestingly, the gold section occupied ninety percent of the wheel's area, while the red section only occupied a small sector.

"That's too unfair…" Xu Xiaoshou silently cursed. According to what he'd learned in the past, the diminished red sector usually had the best stuff.

However, the gold section was marked with the words "Active System," while the words "Passive System" were on the red section.

"Active and Passive?" Xu Xiaoshou's expression turned puzzled. From a gaming perspective, active techniques were naturally better than passive techniques. After all, how was he going to kill enemies with just passive skills alone?

He might not even be able to kill wild monsters!

Could it be that the black wheel thought that my previous life was too pitiful and thus expanded the area of the "Active System" as a reward?

Xu Xiaoshou became excited. That must be the case!

"It's a wheel with a conscience. We don't see this too often!"

He was elated. He wanted to search for something that looked like a start button, but couldn't find anything.

In his mind, there was nothing else other than this simple wheel.

Was the wheel supposed to be activated manually?

He looked at the shabby black wheel, afraid that he would damage it if he wasn't careful. However, it seemed like he had no other choice but to activate it by force.

Xu Xiaoshou looked at the needle on the wheel. It was long and slender. It looked like it couldn't withstand a gust of wind.

He gave it a try. He used his will to gently push the needle. The wheel shook and looked like it was about to move.

… Then nothing.

"That's it?"

The wheel had only looked like it'd been about to move. In the end, the needle didn't budge an inch. Xu Xiaoshou felt that the person who had made this wheel hadn't put too much thought into it.

It was all right that the wheel looked shabby, but it wasn't even greased. How was he going to use it?

He exerted a little more force with his will. The needle seemed to tilt to the side. However, it still felt like it was resisting him. He needed to use more force!

Xu Xiaoshou used even more force. The long slender needle tilted to the side even more this time. He thought that this probably wasn't good and lessened the amount of strength he used. In the end, the needle couldn't bear the heavy load and broke…

It broke?

It broke!

Xu Xiaoshou's expression turned dark. As it turned out, the wheel didn't just look shabby. It was truly shabby!

The needle had been pointing toward the edge of the gold section. However, now that it'd broken, it immediately fell toward the red section that was outside the edge of the gold section.

Red… Passive System?

Xu Xiaoshou's face turned from black to purple. It wasn't right to play with people like that. Who had made this wheel? It was an evil device.

He suddenly had a thought. Could it be that the wheel wasn't activated by pushing the needle but by spinning the wheel?

"Groan… It can't be, right?"

Xu Xiaoshou's face turned red. He experimentally prodded the wheel under the needle. Indeed, the wheel started to turn smoothly and didn't look like it needed to be greased.

"This…" Xu Xiaoshou's eyes lazily rolled into the back of his head and he staggered backward and fell onto the bed.

The next second, he leapt off the bed, desperately wanting to pick up the broken needle with his will. He wanted to seize the opportunity to place the needle onto the gold section before the black wheel could react.

He didn't expect the black wheel to come to its senses after his foul play. The wheel immediately disappeared.

A line of words appeared:

"[Passive System] activated, downloading…"

Xu Xiaoshou wanted to cry. However, he could only go with the flow and accept it.

The words disappeared, and a small red interface took its place. Xu Xiaoshou looked over, harboring a sliver of hope.

There was only one section in the interface. In the section was a line of large words.

Fundamental Passive Skill.

The section looked familiarly shabby and simple.

Breathing Technique (Acquired Lv. 1).

Xu Xiaoshou immediately fell back onto the bed. His pale complexion suddenly turned red. His blood was coursing through his veins. He was angry and furious.

Darn it. Breathing Technique? Do I really need you to teach me that?

Even a baby knew how to breathe!

Xu Xiaoshou had harbored some hope for this Passive System. Maybe there would be a godly twist that would shock him.

At that moment, he completely slipped into despair. It really was passive. Breathing…

Breathing, darn it!

He was so angry that he involuntarily took a few more breaths. However, he suddenly sensed the spiritual energy in his body start to stir violently.

"What's going on?" Xu Xiaoshou was immensely shocked. His cultivation level was only Spiritual Cultivation Level Three. There shouldn't be such a violent stir in his spiritual energy unless he was about to achieve a breakthrough. Could it be that he was about to achieve a breakthrough?

He quickly sat down cross-legged. He was just about to do something when he saw his spiritual energy become a cocoon and envelop his entire body. A wonderful stream of energy rose and broke through its restraints like a fish slipping back into the ocean.

The formless waves released ripples in the air around him and even cleared off the dust on the table.

"I, I achieved a breakthrough?"

Xu Xiaoshon looked lost. This person had been unable to advance, even after he'd engaged in death seclusion for a month, yet he had now achieved a breakthrough because he was furious and had taken a few more breaths of air?

Something was wrong…

Breathing?

There was a sparkle in Xu Xiaoshou's eyes. "Breathing Technique?"

Could it be that the Breathing Technique was similar to a martial arts technique, where his every breath allowed him to take in the spiritual energy in the surroundings for his use?

"My… I've found a treasure!"

Xu Xiaoshou had thought that he'd messed up and was stuck with a lousy system. He didn't expect it to be a great system. He seriously pondered the word "Passive" and had an epiphany.

"Passive breathing?"

"Passive training?"

He observed his body as he breathed. Indeed, he realized that a shred of spiritual energy from the surroundings would be taken into his sea of energy with his every breath.

It wasn't much, but it was enough!

He'd reached a standstill in his cultivation, which meant that his few breaths of spiritual energy had made the difference and given him the success he needed!

Xu Xiaoshou felt a wave of passion. The diminished section of the wheel really always had the good stuff.

He would've had to go through the process of training if he'd gotten a powerful technique that he had to actively cultivate.

However, this Breathing Technique allowed him to even skip the process of training. What did that mean?

Xu Xiaoshou flicked his sleeves and pushed back the long hair on his forehead. There was a suave expression on his face.

"I, Xu Xiaoshou, will become invincible, even if I don't move a muscle!"

Unfortunately, no one was there to witness how suave he was. Xu Xiaoshou felt that it was a bit of a pity.

He once again looked toward the red interface and felt a different emotion.

"Breathing Technique (Acquired Lv. 1)."

His gaze moved toward the words in the brackets. Xu Xiaoshou instinctively muttered, "Acquired… Lv. 1…"

That must mean that it could be leveled up. So what did he need to level up this skill?

He quickly noticed the lower portion of the interface. There was a small line of words there that he'd missed just now, as he'd been too agitated.

"Passive Points: 0."

Xu Xiaoshou stroked his chin. Passive Points?

That was probably what he needed to level up his skills. However, how could he gain Passive Points?

The summer night was always accompanied by the songs of cicadas and the buzzing of mosquitoes. Xu Xiaoshou slipped into deep thought. The room became completely quiet.

He suddenly felt an itch on his forearm and instinctively slapped toward the area. He saw a bloody mark on his palm when he lifted his hand.

"Darned mosquito!"

Xu Xiaoshou felt that this room needed a deep cleaning. After all, he hadn't cleaned the place in over a month. But he suddenly froze the next second, not knowing whether to laugh or to cry.

All he saw was a notification bar that had appeared at the bottom of the red interface.

"Got attacked. Passive Points 1."

Report chapter

Chapter 2: Corpse Collectors

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

There was dew on the plants and fog covering the morning sun, which was rising in the east.

The Spiritual Cultivators of the Tiansang Spirit Palace had long been awake and were taking in spiritual energy in various places. Some of them were on trees, some in pavilions, some in their friends' yards…

Leaves rustled. Spirit magpies chirped. Everything was serene and wonderful.

However, two sneaky figures were shifting along on a quiet, meandering path. One of them was tall and burly, while the other was short and stout.

The tall figure was a muscular man. He had a burlap sack in his hands, and his back was hunched as he looked from side to side. It was obvious that he was going to do something bad.

By his side was a shorter teenager who only reached the tall man's neck. He had a longsword sheathed at his waist, and there was an excited expression on his face.

"Senior Liu, why were we chosen for the mission of corpse collecting? Don't the elders of the outer yard usually deal with this?" the shorter teenager, Zhou Zuo, asked.

"Naturally, it was orchestrated. Do you think this opportunity fell into your lap by chance?" The muscular man, Liu Zhen, looked around him. When he realized that no one was paying any attention to them, he heaved a sigh of relief. "I heard that Boss Wen gave them a large number of Spirit Crystals."

"So that's the case…" Zhou Zuo squinted, then rubbed his hands together and lowered his voice. "Then whose corpse are we collecting?"

"Xu Xiaoshou's!" Liu Zhen walked as he said, "I heard that he engaged in death seclusion in an attempt to break through Level Three for this Windcloud Competition. If we count the time, today should be his last day. He hasn't come out for a long time, which means that he must've died."

"Level Three?" Zhou Zuo looked at him in shock. Xu Xiaoshou's cultivation level wasn't much higher than his. "What kind of treasures could a Level Three have? We might as well let him die on his own!"

"What do you know!?" Liu Zhen scolded him. "That Xu Xiaoshou was in the spirit palace for nearly three years. If nothing else, his yard alone is worth thousands of Spirit Crystals."

"Wow, he's that rich?"

"That's right! I also heard that he has a ninth-grade spirit spiritual sword."

Zhou Zuo's eyes nearly fell out of his sockets when he heard this. "Ninth grade spiritual sword?"

"Lower your volume!" Liu Zhen said, afraid that someone might've heard his shocked exclamation. He looked around at the dissatisfied gazes of the people around them, then scolded the top of his partner's head again. Was this lad not afraid that the people around them would hear him shouting so loudly?

The two of them chatted as they walked along the meandering path before finally coming to a quiet yard. The yard was enveloped in a large array.

Liu Zhen, who had been leading the way, suddenly stopped in his tracks.

"It's quite far away… Oh my!"

Zhou Zuo, who was walking behind him, slammed into Liu Zhen's back. He rubbed his forehead in pain and grumbled, "Senior Liu, why did you suddenly stop…"

He couldn't see what was ahead of them because he was shorter. He walked around him and suddenly understood why Liu Zhen had suddenly stopped in his tracks.

A dozen people were sitting cross-legged in front of the yard.

They weren't speaking. They were all sitting there silently and cultivating. The scene looked incredibly harmonious.

"Why are there so many people?"

Zhou Zuo was confused. He raised his head and looked at Liu Zhen. "Didn't you say that Boss Wen obtained this opportunity by spending a great deal of Spirit Crystals?" he asked doubtfully.

He slammed his palm onto the top of Zhou Zuo's head when he said this. Liu Zhen was so angry he couldn't speak.

"Can't you tell? All of these people got smart!"

"Darn it. They could've picked somewhere else to train, but instead they chose to come here. The information must've been leaked!"

Zhou Zuo rubbed his head, a bitter expression on his face. "You shouldn't vent your anger on me," he thought.

The dozen people who were sitting cross-legged in front of the yard noticed that somebody else had come. They couldn't help but be happy. All of them started chattering.

"Yo, someone else has come. They're a little late. The sun's already rising from the east."

"That must be Liu Zhen. Who's the person beside him? He must be new. Did he come to witness the action?"

"Hey, Liu Zhen, you're too negligent. I came before the sun rose, and there were already people here…"

"Tch, I came last night."

"I came the day before!"

"I came three days ago!"

A commotion broke out in front of the yard. Liu Zhen didn't know if they were boasting or not. In the end, someone claimed that they'd been here for a month, and everyone instantly turned to look at that person in awe.

Liu Zhen felt dizzy and said furiously, "What are you guys here for?!"

"Hey, Liu Zhen. We can't say."

"But if you must know, we're here for the ninth grade spiritual sword."

Zhou Zuo nearly burst out laughing. Did everyone know the information? Hehe. And Liu Zhen had told him to keep quiet.

He glanced at Liu Zhen and swallowed the words he'd been about to say. Liu Zhen's expression was dark, as if he'd just eaten a string of firecrackers and was going to explode the next second.

Liu Zhen felt like his lungs were about to explode. Boss Wen had spent a great deal of Spirit Crystals to obtain this information. Why was it so cheap?

The people in their camp wouldn't have leaked this information, so had all of these people bribed the elder?

The person just now had said he couldn't say…

Darn it. Which elder would be so immoral as to sell a piece of information to so many people!?

He couldn't voice what he'd wanted to say. It felt like there was something stuck in his throat. The two of them stood still in front of the path. Awkwardness seemed to hang in the air like a crying crow.

The people in front of the yard seemed to have experienced this many times. They expertly patted the ground.

"Liu Zhen, come over and have a seat."

"Don't stand on ceremony. Just treat this as your own yard."

"Haha!" Zhou Zuo couldn't help but erupt into laughter.

Liu Zhen pushed him onto the ground with a slap, then walked over, looking dejected. He stopped halfway in shock when he looked at the yard again.

He saw the formless barrier that enveloped the yard start to ripple. The next moment, the barrier split open and revealed the door of the yard.

The crowd that was sitting cross-legged in front of the yard also noticed this transformation. They all turned to look. Some of them looked at the color of the sky and noticed that something was off.

"What time is it? Didn't they say that the array would only be dispelled at noon?"

"Who dispelled the array? No one here knows how to dispel arrays. Was it you, Liu Zhen?"

Liu Zhen nearly ran forward to slam the person onto the ground. He was so far away from the yard. How could he have dispelled the array?

Also, who are you to call my name like a friend? We're not close! I don't know you.

Liu Zhen was speechless at this group of people, who were acting friendly with him. However, now was not the time to get caught up in this. He focused his attention on the door of the yard in front of him.

Creak!

The door was pushed open. A tall, slender figure carrying a black sword was leaning by the door, his eyes sleepy.

"Why are you so noisy this early in the morning? Are you trying to prevent me from sleeping?"

Xu Xiaoshou was irritated. He'd wanted to train last night but had suddenly had a thought: he breathed when he slept, and breathing meant training…

Thus, he'd lain down to go to bed!

He hadn't expected another mosquito to appear after he'd just killed one. And then three more had appeared after that!

Tormented by the mosquitoes, he hadn't been able to sleep. He'd toiled the entire night before finally falling asleep, only to be jolted awake by the noise early in the morning!

Even though there was a soundproof array around the yard, it wasn't a high-level array.

This group of people had gotten louder and louder, and their voices had drifted into his room like a buzzing mosquito.

Unable to tolerate it any longer, he had grabbed his sword and gotten out of bed.

Xu Xiaoshou had been in the outer yard for three years and understood what this group of people was thinking. Thinking that he'd died, they wanted to seize the opportunity to collect his corpse and profit off of it!

Unfortunately for them, while he had died, another him had risen and taken his place.

He leaned by the door and looked around him, then said in a mocking tone, "People, why are you crowding around my door so early in the morning? I don't want to buy breakfast!"

All of the people looked toward the swordsman leaning by the door. They were all shocked.

Xu Xiaoshou?

He'd achieved a breakthrough and come out of his seclusion?

It's well understood that you can't get far without natural talent. Xu Xiaoshou had spent the last three years telling everyone that he was born to be stuck at Level Three. How could he have achieved a breakthrough just by engaging in death seclusion?

What kind of luck did he have!?

"Xu Xiaoshou?"

"You didn't die?"

"What happened? You… You broke through to Level Four?"

Xu Xiaoshou had wanted to speak, but he suddenly saw the notification panel in his mind update.

"Got doubted. Passive Points 12."

Xu Xiaoshou was elated. He had spent the last night being frustrated over how he had to attract mosquitoes with the fragrant smell of his flesh to increase his Passive Points. Now, it looked like…

It wasn't just being attacked that gained him Passive Points. Being doubted did it too.

Could it be that any passive words or actions would increase his Passive Points?

With the points he'd just earned, and the one's he'd gained from being assaulted six times by mosquitoes last night, he now had 18 Passive Points.

But, he had been bitten many times last night, yet each time had only given him 1 Passive Point, so why was it "12" for being doubted?

Xu Xiaoshou was confused. He looked at people present and counted. There were seventeen people.

Could it be that twelve people within the group doubted that he'd broken through to Level Four?

Zhou Zuo finally got to Liu Zhen's side and asked softly, "This is Xu Xiaoshou?"

"Got doubted. Passive Points 1."

Xu Xiaoshou was elated. His hearing was great. Out of all these corpse collectors, there was a person who didn't even know whose corpse they'd come to collect?

He walked out of the yard with his black sword in hand. The group of people moved back.

Xu Xiaoshou had spent all of his Spirit Crystals to purchase the ninth grade spiritual sword to show how determined he was to undergo death seclusion.

The name of the sword was "Hiding Pain," meaning that he hid his pain and suffering. He'd been determined to die along with the sword if he was unable to achieve a breakthrough.

Now that he had succeeded in breaking through to Level Four, he had the ninth grade spiritual sword combined with the White Cloud Sword Technique that he had spent three years cultivating… Even though he had only learned one stroke, he might stand a chance against this group of people in front of him.

The person with the highest cultivation level out of the people that had come here was Liu Zhen, who was Spiritual Cultivation Level Five. The high-level bosses woudn't come out in person to collect his corpse. They had too high of status.

The group of people instinctively retreated when they saw Xu Xiaoshou come out of his seclusion.

One person holding a sword had shocked the entire group.

"To think that you would try to collect my corpse. Mine. Xu Xiaoshou's. Why did your bosses not come personally?!"

In both cultivation and experience, Xu Xiaoshou, who had been in the outer yard for three years, was considered an elder. He'd been here long enough to be called a senior.

How else would he have the assets to own a small yard and a spiritual sword.

The people who were more powerful than him had reached the Innate Stage and headed into the inner yard. Some of the so-called bosses who had remained in the outer yard had followed behind him some years ago.

Thus, no one dared to talk back when he spoke. Even Liu Zhen, who was one level higher than him, remained silent when he saw the spiritual glow circulating the black sword on Xu Xiaoshou's shoulder.

"Scram, go back to where you came from!" Xu Xiaoshou waved his arms like he was chasing ducks away.

The group hadn't expected Xu Xiaoshou to immediately take the initiative the moment he came out to crush their spirits. They resentfully turned to leave, none of them daring to mutter another word.

"Senior Liu, are we going to leave just like that?" Zhou Zuo asked cautiously.

Liu Zhen looked at Xu Xiaoshou. Even though he was indignant, it wasn't like he could charge forward and kill him before dragging his corpse away, right?

Personal battles were forbidden in the spirit palace, and even if they weren't, he doubted whether or not he'd be able to defeat Xu Xiaoshou.

"Let's go," he sighed, then left with the group.

"Wait!"

Xu Xiaoshou suddenly called out from behind them, as if he'd just remembered something.

Everyone in the group turned around, confused. They saw Xu Xiaoshou pierce his sword into the ground and shout, "You guys come and go as you please. Do you really think that I don't have a temper?"

Everyone got angry. They had wasted hours of their time waiting here and hadn't managed to get anything. They had already turned around to leave. What else did Xu Xiaoshou want?

"What can you do about it?" Liu Zhen knitted his brows and asked. Xu Xiaoshou wouldn't be able to defend himself if this group of people surrounded and attacked him. Had he become insane after his death seclusion and wanted to fight all seventeen of them by himself?

He saw Xu Xiaoshou snicker. "Nothing. Don't get too agitated. I was just asking a question."

The group was silent. Xu Xiaoshou said with a jovial expression, "I said that I've broken through to Level Four. Do you believe me?"

Everyone froze when they heard his question. He'd stopped everyone to ask such a stupid question? However, in order to leave this place, all of them played along.

"Yes, yes."

"We do, we do!"

"You've reached Level Four. You sure are impressive, Senior Xu. So can we leave now?"

Xu Xiaoshou froze. Why were they reacting this way?

"Don't do that. Doubt me. Please doubt me as you please!" he screamed internally. He had effortfully come up with an idea to gain Passive Points, yet no one was playing along with him.

He glanced at the group of people who were growing impatient and wanted to leave, then suddenly had a burst of inspiration. He picked up his sword and stood up straight, then said casually, "I won't hide it from all of you. Actually, I've already broken through to Level Five…"

"How could that be?"

"Hehe, Senior Xu, you must be joking…"

Everyone voiced their thoughts. They weren't blind. It was as clear as day that he had the aura of a Level Four, yet he was trying to say that he was a Level Five?

He was lying through his teeth. He sure was impressive.

"Got doubted. Passive Points 15."

Xu Xiaoshou was elated. So that was what he had to do?

He saw that there were only 15 points, which meant that there were two people who believed him? Were they dumb?

"Hehe, actually, I've already broken through to Level Six…"

"Got doubted. Passive Points 17."

Great. This was a group of people that would be useful for collecting Passive Points.

Xu Xiaoshou spread his hands. "I'll stop pretending and tell you the truth. Actually, I'm already Level Seven…"

The group felt the veins in their foreheads bulge. Was this Xu Xiaoshou using them for his amusement or was he doing this for another reason?

"Got doubted. Passive Points 13."

Hey, why did his points go down?

Xu Xiaoshou was only paying attention to the notification panel in his mind and didn't notice the expressions on their faces. He immediately added, "All right, all right, I'll stop joking. I've already reached Level Eigh…"

"Xu Xiaoshou, you've gone too far!"

"You can kill us, but don't humiliate us!"

"Attack, brothers!"

Xu Xiaoshou was shocked. He came to his senses and saw the seventeen furious faces in front of him. He immediately moved back into the yard and closed the door, then instantly activated the array.

My obedient friends, I only asked a few questions. Why did you have to blow up as if you'd just eaten a string of explosives!?

Report chapter

Chapter 3: Strengthen

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

Xu Xiaoshou really was rich.

He had a small pond of spirit fishes, a fake mountain, and a few tall spirit trees in his yard.

Xu Xiaoshou had wanted to go back to sleep after he closed the door. However, he noticed that a new section had appeared in the red interface in his mind: Store.

He shifted his gaze down to the text beneath it. Passive Points: 64.

Xu Xiaoshou was elated. He had earned a lot of Passive Points just now. Could it be that he had only unlocked the store when his Passive Points had reached two digits?

He tapped into the store. The store was empty save for a red gift box.

"Passive Gift Box (Purchase: 10 Passive Points)."

Xu Xiaoshou had tried to upgrade his skills with his Passive Points last night but hadn't been able to figure out how to do it. He realized now that the Passive Points were used to purchase items.

Without thinking too much, he immediately tapped to purchase the gift box. He tore the gift box open and the notification panel refreshed.

"Skill Point 10."

"Passive Key 3."

At the same time, the store shook as a red wheel appeared. This wheel was a size smaller than the black wheel from last time. Also, the surface of the wheel was obscured by a layer of gray fog. He couldn't see its contents.

The corners of Xu Xiaoshou's mouth involuntarily twitched when he saw the wheel, and his eyes dulled. He immediately recalled the needle that he had broken the last time.

Two other gray items appeared within the store section.

"Skill Point (Purchase: 1000 Passive Points)."

"Passive Key (Purchase: 1000 Passive Points)."

Xu Xiaoshou was startled when he saw these two notifications. It was that expensive?

Had he just purchased 10,000 Passive Points worth of items just with 10 Passive Points just now?

"Wow!" Xu Xiaoshou's eyes widened. He realized that the gift box was equivalent to a bundle for new players that didn't measure up to his level. It might as well have been free!

It felt great!

"Passive Key… That must be used to activate this wheel, right?" Xu Xiaoshou deliberated. Had the wheel upgraded itself after being ravaged the last time? It was no longer activated manually?

He didn't have to think too hard about the Skill Points. Those were definitely used for upgrading his passive skills.

"So do I upgrade the Breathing Technique?" he thought to himself. But Xu Xiaoshou quickly tossed that idea to the side. "Let me try the Passive Key first. I might be able to obtain other passive skills."

The Windcloud Competition of the outer yard would be held in three days. It was a competition for the bosses who wanted to place in the top 100 of the Windcloud Scoreboard. However, to Xu Xiaoshou, it was an elimination exam.

He might be able to continue training in the Tiansang Spirit Palace if he obtained a decent passive skill from this red wheel. He wouldn't have a place to stay if he were really ousted out of the Spirit Palace.

Xu Xiaoshou inserted the key into the small hole at the base of the red wheel. The fog above his head became even thicker. He couldn't see a thing.

"Give me a chance. Give me something that can instantly make me stronger!"

After he turned the key, Xu Xiaoshou placed his hands together and started to pray, "I don't want techniques. I don't want techniques. They can't help me for the time being…"

The gray fog billowed. Xu Xiaoshou didn't know what was going on within the fog, but the notification panel soon refreshed.

"Better luck next time!" it read.

Xu Xiaoshou's expression turned black. "What's going on here?" he thought. "Would I really have better luck next time?"

Couldn't they have come up with something that an average person could use? Why was the system always so evil? It was just like the needle from the previous wheel!

Xu Xiaoshou finished venting internally. He still had two keys. Xu Xiaoshou inserted another key and then shouted like a maniac, "Go! RNGesus!"

The gray fog billowed. Xu Xiaoshou looked at the notification panel expectantly.

"One extra key!" Xu Xiaoshou was speechless.

"Hey, what's the meaning of this?" he thought. "I spent one key to get one key and nothing else? Are they just toying with me?"

Xu Xiaoshou rolled his eyes back as far as they'd go. "Do you think you're Mr. Big Shot or something? One extra key?"

"Well, I'm not amused!"

He had used two keys and had two keys left.

Xu Xiaoshou could no longer stand such torture. He inserted one key and stopped looking at the notification panel. He estimated that sufficient time had passed and saw that the key had vanished. He then pushed his last key fiercely into the hole.

"Nothing good, nothing good…" he muttered, trying to jinx it as he stole glances at the notification bar.

"Obtained an Extended Passive Skill: Strengthen!"

"Better luck next time!"

Jinxing himself had worked!

Xu Xiaoshou slapped himself on the thigh when he looked at the line of text. He'd finally gotten something good.

However, after he read the sentence more closely…

"Strengthen?"

Xu Xiaoshou was so flabbergasted he almost vomited blood.

Why not just say I'm scrawny while you're at it?

"Oh? Maybe it's not what I think?"

Xu Xiaoshou suddenly remembered that the Breathing Technique he'd gotten the other time also had an unassuming name, yet had a marvelous effect. Perhaps Strengthen would also have an unexpected effect?

"Let's hope so!" Xu Xiaoshou collected himself and looked at the red interface. He noticed that the interface had changed again.

One, Fundamental Passive Skills.

Two, Extended Passive Skills.

Three, Store.

"There's an extra Extended Passive Skills tab?" He looked again at the notification panel and realized that Strengthen was an Extended Passive Skill. It belonged to a different category than the Breathing Technique.

"The classification is quite detailed…"

He tapped open the tab and saw a small line of text at the bottom: Strengthen (Acquired Lv. 1).

"Could it be a technique that will strengthen my body?" Xu Xiaoshou pinched his arm. His arm hadn't become more muscular because of the appearance of the passive skill.

Could it be that its level wasn't high enough?

Xu Xiaoshou was conflicted. He still had ten Passive Points. What should he use them on?

The Breathing Technique was a fundamental technique and naturally worth leveling up. However, it took a long time to accumulate its effects. He had only managed to achieve a breakthrough yesterday because he already had a strong foundation.

On the other hand, Strengthen, if it was as he guessed, was a passive skill that would strengthen his physical body. It was undoubtedly a more suitable choice for leveling up at this moment.

He would have a fighting chance at the Windcloud Competition if his body could be enhanced. At the very least, he wouldn't be eliminated.

After weighing the options, Xu Xiaoshou ultimately decided to use his Skill Points on Strengthen. What if there was a miracle?

He used his Skill Points in the interface. The notification panel immediately got updated.

"Strengthen (Acquired Lv. 2)."

Xu Xiaoshou constantly monitored his body for changes. He didn't know if it was an illusion or not, but he felt that he now had more strength, but the transformation wasn't apparent. He continued tapping on the skill level on the panel.

"Strengthen (Acquired Lv. 3)."

"Strengthen (Acquired Lv. 4)."

"Strengthen (Acquired Lv. 5)."

The transformation was much more obvious this time. Xu Xiaoshou felt his muscles bulge slightly, and he no longer looked scrawny.

"That's good!" Xu Xiaoshou was elated. He punched the ground, and there was a dull thud from the impact. He'd created a slight indention in the ground.

"That's great. It's obvious that my strength has increased. Could the Acquired Stage of the passive skill be equivalent to the ten levels of Spiritual Cultivation of Spiritual Cultivators?" Xu Xiaoshou murmured to himself.

There were ten levels of Spiritual Cultivation when Spiritual Cultivators first started their training. After those ten levels was the Innate Stage.

Thus, the first ten levels of Spiritual Cultivation was called the Acquired Stage. No problem there. The technique was only an Acquired Lv. 5 right now, yet it had such power. He'd be able to break a few rib bones if he punched a person!

If it was as he thought and the levels of the technique were equivalent to the levels of a Spiritual Cultivator, wouldn't his body reach the Innate stage if he put all of his Skill Points into the technique?

"Oh, wow!" Xu Xiaoshou felt a wave of passion. It was more difficult for the physical body to reach the Innate Stage than to reach the Innate Stage in Spiritual Cultivation!

He had wanted to split the Skill Points evenly between the two techniques. However, he now decided to put all of his Skill Points into Strengthen. He wanted to see what kind of effect it would have.

"Strengthen (Acquired Lv. 6)."

"Strengthen (Acquired Lv. 7)."

"Strengthen (Acquired Lv. 8)."

His body's power continuously skyrocketed. Xu Xiaoshou felt as if he'd taken drugs. He felt like he had infinite energy.

But after his muscles had reached a size that could be considered muscular for the average person, his muscles no longer bulged and started to tone instead, becoming perfectly defined.

Xu Xiaoshou took off his shirt, revealing a beautiful, toned body underneath.

Boom!

He shattered the ground with a punch!

It was powerful enough to rival a Spiritual Cultivation Level Eight fighter!

Xu Xiaoshou was in awe. "Too powerful. This is too powerful!"

He should be able to rank within the first few hundred of the Windcloud Scoreboard just with that fist alone. It was more than enough for him to avoid elimination!

There was a glimmer in Xu Xiaoshou's eyes. He wasn't going to stop here. He still had three Skill Points, go!

"Strengthen (Acquired Lv. 9)."

"Strengthen (Acquired Lv. 10)."

"Strengthen (Innate Lv. 1)."

Xu Xiaoshou's mind turned blank with bliss after he saw the last line of text, "Innate, to think that it's really innate!"

Every inch of muscle in his body started to twitch violently. The next moment, his muscles expelled sticky black impurities that smelled immensely foul.

Xu Xiaoshou looked up and let out a long howl, giving himself a fierce slap.

Pow!

He wasn't dreaming!

He punched the ground. With a thud, a palm-sized crater appeared, and web-like cracks spread out from the crater's center for a few inches.

That was just half his power!

Xu Xiaoshou was dazed. He had only used half of his power. If he were to punch someone's head at full power…

Hehe.

Xu Xiaoshou felt that the Windcloud Competition might be very interesting…

Report chapter

Chapter 4: Spiritual Affairs Division

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

Late in the morning.

A constant stream of people walked in and out of the Spiritual Affairs Division. This was the place where the Tiansang Spirit Palace dealt with the miscellaneous matters of outer yard disciples from. It was a massive place with 108 counters.

"Good morning, Senior."

"Good morning, Senior Xu."

"Good morning, Senio… Good afternoon?"

Xu Xiaoshou walked over with his sword behind his back. He saw people that he knew as well as people that he didn't. Anyway, he was the most senior person here and didn't have to greet anyone. All he had to do was nod.

Entering the Spiritual Affairs Division was like entering a wet market. It was loud and rowdy.

Most of the people here had come to register for the Windcloud Competition. After all, not registering for the competition was equivalent to forfeiting.

Anyone who forfeited for three years would be ousted from the palace. Of course, anyone ranked last for three years would also be ousted from the palace.

A small minority of people didn't want to participate in the competition and embarrass themselves. Thus, they had come over to submit their application to enter the mortal world as an executive. They planned to live day by day until they died.

All 108 counters were occupied. Xu Xiaoshou walked toward counter number one. There was no one there.

"Indeed!"

According to his memories, rest of the counters were managed by outer yard disciples who had enough experience. Only counter number one was managed by the elder of the Spiritual Affairs Division, Qiao Qianzhi.

Elder Qiao was good in every regard except that he constantly lectured anyone he talked to. Thus, the rest of the people would rather join the queue than interact with him.

Xu Xiaoshou was on rather good terms with this elder, mainly because he had reached the limits of his potential, so Elder Qiao couldn't be bothered to lecture him anymore.

After all, he was a man who was unable to break through to Level Four even after putting in 120% of his effort.

Xu Xiaoshou entered the booth. Elder Xiao was nodding off. Xu Xiaoshou sneakily walked over, then rapped the table with his knuckles. "Wake up!"

Elder Qiao, who was leaning back in his chair, his mouth slightly open, jumped in shock. He didn't even bother to wipe the drool from the corner of his mouth before slapping at whoever was in front of him. Xu Xiaoshou nimbly crouched down to avoid the attack. "Easy!" he warned.

"Oh, it's you. Xiaoshou… Hm, Xu Xiaoshou?"

Elder Qiao became wide awake when he saw who had come. There was a look of shock on his face. "Weren't you in death seclusion? You didn't die?"

Xu Xiaoshou's expression turned dark. What, it's not possible that I could've achieved a breakthrough? You expected me to become a corpse?

"I died. I'm now a zombie!" he said in an unfriendly tone.

Elder Qiao gave him a friendly smile. He pointed to the people outside and said, "You're also prepared to leave the palace to become an executive in the mortal world?"

Xu Xiaoshou returned his sarcasm. "Become an executive? Why, is it not good to make it in the top ten spots of the Windcloud Scoreboard?"

"Yes, but how can you with your abilities?" Elder Qiao suddenly clutched his belly and burst out laughing, his body trembling violently.

It was incredibly boring in the outer yard. Only Xu Xiaoshou dared to talk to him like this. It was only in front of Xu Xiaoshou that he would set aside his pride and laugh freely.

"Got mocked. Passive Point 1."

Mocked?

He'd just opened a whole new can of worms!

Xu Xiaoshou snickered. It seemed like it was as he'd expected. As long as he was passive enough, he'd gain an endless stream of Passive Points.

"Why? You don't believe that my abilities have improved by leaps and bounds after my death seclusion?"

Elder Qiao had wiped off his drool with a napkin and was just about to rinse his mouth, but when Xu Xiaoshou asked this, he couldn't help but smile.

"Got suspected. Passive Point 1."

Xu Xiaoshou was happy. He continued to flick his sleeves and said with a stern expression, "I won't keep anything from you. I've already broken through to the Innate stage!"

"Puuu!" Elder Qiao spat out his water.

He looked at Xu Xiaoshou's serious expression and could no longer hold it in. His demon-like laugh reverberated around the Spiritual Affairs Division. "HAHAHAHA…"

"I can't take it anymore, Xu Xiaoshou. Your expression… You're really funny." He grabbed the napkin that he'd used to wipe his drool with and blotted away his tears.

"Got praised. Passive Point 1."

Xu Xiaoshou was speechless.

Praised?

What kind of praise was that? That was sarcasm. This system must be broken. Where had it gotten "praised" from?

Outside, some of the disciples heard Elder Qiao's demonic laugh. They craned their necks to look over to try and see what was going on.

"My God, whose laughter was that? It's so demon-like!"

"Lower your voice. Don't you recognize Elder Qiao's laugh? Do you want to be lectured?"

"Who managed to amuse Elder Qiao? I'm impressed."

"I don't know. Let's have a look."

They were all curious and no longer cared about queueing up. After all, processing their applications as a group wasn't against the rules. Thus, all of them snuck over to the room where counter number one was.

"Hng… It's Xu Xiaoshou? Wasn't he in death seclusion?"

"Wow, you're sure out of the loop. I heard that he broke through to Level Four and has come out of seclusion!"

"Tsk tsk. It looks like you are too. I heard yesterday that he reached Level Five."

"Nonsense. I heard that he reached Level Seven."

"Level Eight!"

"He said that he was Innate while he was inside…" a weak voice said, and the room slipped into silence. They all turned to look at the person who'd spoken.

"As if we'd believe you!" they said.

Elder Qiao saw the mob of people outside the door and became furious. He realized that his laugh had attracted all these people's attention. He immediately walked out of the room and shouted, "What are you looking at? Go and tend to your registration!"

"Hehe, don't be angry, Elder Qiao!" The group quickly waved their hands and scattered like birds.

Xu Xiaoshou, who was in the room, was extremely elated. He looked at the continuous stream of updates in his notification panel.

"Got doubted. Passive Points 42."

"Got doubted. Passive Points 31."

"Got doubted. Passive Points 16."

"Got doubted. Passive Points 3."

There were a few hundred people in the Spiritual Affairs Division, and a few dozen of them had come to see what was going on. He had gained more Passive Points from the Elder Qiao's laugh than all the Passive Points he'd gained in the past combined.

The first wave of Passive Points must have come from the onlookers. The notifications after that must have been from word spreading. Or were they from the second wave of doubt?

Xu Xiaoshou realized that every person could only give him one Passive Point during a single event. There was only one condition he had to fulfill if he wanted to obtain more Passive Points.

A large number of people!

He started daydreaming. Wouldn't he be able to instantly gain 10000 Passive Points if he shouted: "I'm an Innate stage expert" in a crowd of 10000 people?

Groan. He might also be regarded as a lunatic and be beaten to death. Though, his scenario also seemed plausible.

Elder Qiao closed the door and returned to his chair. "Why do you have a stupid smile on your face?"

"I don't! It's nothing!"

Xu Xiaoshou came to his senses and said, "I forgot to talk about the issue at hand. I'm here to register for the Windcloud Competition."

"You're not afraid of embarrassing yourself?"

Elder Qiao spoke as he took out a green token from the drawer. He placed it near his forehead and put in Xu Xiaoshou's details.

Xu Xiaoshou rolled his eyes. The elder didn't believe him. "I'm really at the Innate stage! Why would I be afraid of embarrassing myself!" he thought.

He sighed. It couldn't be helped. The life of a genius came with slander and doubt.

"Spiritual Cultivation Level Four?" Elder Qiao asked.

Xu Xiaoshou thought about it and decided not to bother talking back. He nodded.

"Here!"

After he received the green token from Elder Qiao, Xu Xiaoshou placed it on his forehead and quickly read the details within.

Xu Xiaoshou, Spiritual Cultivation Level Four, Group 12, Serial Number: 1130.

Over a thousand people…

Xu Xiaoshou was still shocked even though he had expected this.

There were always over a thousand participants during the annual Windcloud Competition. Anybody who was an outer yard disciple would have to participate in the competition, regardless if they had been training in the outer sect for one, two, or three years.

The person who was ranked last would be subjected to a trial by the elders of the spirit palace. Those who didn't have an impressive showing would usually be sent away immediately.

Elder Qiao had played a large part in Xu Xiaoshou being able to stay in the spirit palace for so long.

However, Elder Qiao wouldn't be able to protect Xu Xiaoshou forever. If Xu Xiaoshou was to rank last for the third year in a row, he wouldn't be able to save him.

However, it seemed like this would no longer be a problem!

Xu Xiaoshou kept the token and raised an eyebrow at Elder Qiao. He rubbed his palms together and said, "Elder Qiao, where are my Spirit Crystals…"

His first motive for coming here was to register for the competition. His second was to take back the funding he needed for his training.

Counting the previous two months, he had 20 Spirit Crystals with Elder Qiao that he hadn't collected. He had become penniless after purchasing Hiding Pain. Even though 20 Spirit Crystals wasn't a lot, every little bit counted.

"You sure are as smart as a whip when it comes to this type of thing," Elder Qiao scolded him, smiling.

He took out 20 Spirit Crystals from the drawer. He waved his hand again and produced a pill bottle, then placed it on the table with the Spirit Crystals.

"This is…" Xu Xiaoshou was shocked. Anyone who took up a position at the Spiritual Affairs Division was famous for being stingy. Elder Qiao was especially known for this. Why would he give him an extra bottle of pills?

"This is a personal gift from me to you. Don't tell the others!" Elder Qiao said sternly. He pushed the Spirit Crystals and pill bottle toward him, and his expression suddenly turned melancholy. "I might not be able to see you again in the future…"

Xu Xiaoshou's heart warmed. He quickly put away the items, then smiled. "Don't worry. Even if I'm ousted out of the Tiansang Spirit Palace, I'll come back and visit you!"

"Heh!" Elder Qiao was happy. "Would you be able to come in?"

"Don't worry. They can't kick me out."

"Let's hope so!"

Elder Qiao was a little melancholy as he watched Xu Xiaoshou walk out of the Spiritual Affairs Division smiling. He knitted his brows and murmured to himself, "To think that that lad would be able to achieve a breakthrough. What a miracle."

"That's fine. It doesn't look like he knows that I was the one who sold the others the information. That bottle of pills can be his compensation…

He put his fingers together, "Yes, ten times the profit. I didn't make a loss this time!"

Report chapter

Chapter 5: This Training Is a Little Addictive

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

Xu Xiaoshou scrolled through the red interface in his head.

Passive Points: 148.

"It's not enough…"

Even though it was much more than what he'd had in the past, he still had a long way to go to amass the 1000 Passive Points needed to purchase the Skill Point.

Currently, he was able to obtain Passive Points when he got attacked, doubted, or mocked. These were things that could only happen if he interacted with people.

In other words, if he wanted to obtain even more Passive Points, all he needed to do was head into the middle of a large crowd and wreak havoc!

"It's like the system's pushing me into becoming a clown. I feel like a villain…" Xu Xiaoshou cursed silently.

He would have to cause a scene and make a fool of himself. Then, someone would step forward and fiercely stomp him into the ground to become the main character of the show.

Xu Xiaoshou shivered at the thought. "Darn it. That's too passive for my taste!"

Thinking about the word "passive," he remembered the Passive System, and then recalled the black wheel. In that instant, he felt as though everything had been arranged by fate.

"Forget that. I should think harder about how to get stronger these next three days!"

Even though his physical body had reached the Innate Stage, his cultivation level was still at Level Four. He might not be able to achieve victory if he encountered high-level battle maniacs.

He shook his head and stopped his thoughts from wandering. He took out the pill bottle that Elder Qiao had given him. Three Spiritual Cultivation Pills quietly lay in the bottle.

These Spiritual Cultivation Pills were extremely valuable. Each of the pills was several times more valuable than the 20 Spirit Crystals he'd gotten. When had Elder Qiao become so generous?

Xu Xiaoshou started deliberating. He had two main cultivation methods at the moment. The first was the Acquired-level Spiritual Cultivation Method that he had used in the past.

This cultivation method was extremely slow, even when supplemented by Spirit Crystals. The method had a less than 1% absorption rate of Spirit Crystals, which was a waste of resources.

The second method was the Breathing Technique. This was one of the system's fundamental passive skills. Even though he hadn't invested any of his Skill Points in the technique, he might be able to achieve an unexpected effect.

"Let's first try it with the Spirit Crystals!"

Xu Xiaoshou kept the pill bottle and whipped out a Spirit Crystal. He then was at a loss for what to do next.

So… How do I cultivate with that method?

The Breathing Technique was a passive skill. He didn't even know how the skill worked. How was he going to use it to absorb the Spirit Crystal?

Could it be…

A strange expression appeared on Xu Xiaoshou's face. He had a ridiculous cultivation method in mind.

"Huff…"

He took in a deep breath and got a big whiff of the Spirit Crystal in his hand.

"Ssss!"

It was a ridiculous idea. He didn't expect his deep breath to conjure two trails of rich Spiritual Energy from the Spirit Crystal. The trails of energy entered Xu Xiaoshou's expanded nostrils like green snakes.

Xu Xiaoshou's nose twitched, and he felt as though his soul were being gently caressed by a holy nun. Every inch of his body exploded with pleasure.

A comfortable, luxurious feeling spread over him from the bottom of his feet to the top of his head.

"Ah~"

Xu Xiaoshou couldn't help but moan. The feeling was wonderful. It was the first time he'd felt like this in his eighteen years of living!

Soon, he came to his senses. He couldn't help but tremble.

"F*!"

"This is training?"

"It's so addictive."

The Spirit Crystal had become significantly smaller. Xu Xiaoshou was shocked. That one breath had caused such an obvious transformation.

He investigated his energy reserve and was shocked.

His energy reserve was like a crashing tide, each wave higher than the last. There were no signs that he had just advanced a level.

He had just achieved a breakthrough and reached Level Four. How had just one breath immediately stabilized his cultivation level?

Xu Xiaoshou was elated. This Breathing Technique was so powerful it was scary!

He didn't have to take the initiative to practice or use any cultivation methods. He didn't have to repeat his training every day or waste any resources. He would feel comfortable whenever he took a breath. He would gain a level every time he took a breath.

"You're worth having!" Xu Xiaoshou thought.

"If I can level the technique up to the Innate Stage, and if there's a sufficient supply of Spiritual Energy, gaining a level with every breath isn't completely outside the realm of possibility!" Xu Xiaoshou was in a daze. This technique was incredibly powerful!

The Spirit Crystal lasted about ten breaths before it fully disappeared into Xu Xiaoshou's nostrils. At the same time, his level had also skyrocketed.

The cultivation method he'd used in the past absorbed Spirit Crystals at less than 1% efficiency. The Breathing Technique was terrifyingly powerful. It perfectly absorbed the entire crystal without wasting any of it.

Comparatively, at this moment, Xu Xiaoshou looked like he was a drunk prawn. He was sprawled over his bed in an odd position. He didn't even look human.

An addictive cultivation method like that not only took a toll on Spirit Crystals, but also on the body.

"Chatter…" Xu Xiaoshou's teeth chattered continuously.

"Help, help me up, chatter… I can still… train…"

With a thud, the pill bottle fell out of his robes.

Xu Xiaoshou's body shook violently when he saw the item.

Xu Xiaoshou became more and more engrossed in his training. Three days quickly passed by.

In the outer yard of the Tiansang Spirit Palace. At the Chuyun Platform. There was a sea of people.

This place was originally called Chuyun Peak. It was rumored that the vice dean of the Tiansang Spirit Palace, Elder Sang, had tempered the Chuyun Peak with flames and burned down half the mountain to create the Chuyun Platform, which could hold tens of thousands of people.

The Chuyun Platform had a crater in the middle. Surrounding the crater were rows upon rows of spectator seats. From above, the place looked like a large black bowl silently sitting atop the peak of a mountain.

At this moment, there were next to no one in the spectator seats, as almost all of the outer yard disciples had gathered on the Chuyun Platform.

An elder carrying a sword on his back was standing in the air. His name was Xiao Qixiu, and he was the Chief Elder of the Tiansang Spirit Palace's Spiritual Law Division. He was responsible for all the judicial matters in the outer and inner yards and had immense authority.

At this moment, he was the chief judge of the outer yard's Windcloud Competition.

Xiao Qixiu looked at the sky and shouted to quieten down the commotion on the Chuyun Platform after he ascertained that the time was right.

"Silence!"

Everyone immediately looked toward him with a fiery gaze. Xiao Qixiu calmly took out a piece of paper from within his robes and recited:

"There were a total of 1782 people who registered for this competition. This is reflected in the serial number on your Windcloud Token.

"The preliminaries will be conducted in small groups elimination-style. There will be 100 people in each group and a total of 18 groups. The groups will be allocated to each of the 18 arenas respectively."

Xiao Qixiu then took out a purple array token. The array token shone with purple light after it was activated by his spiritual source.

The Chuyun Platform under him started shaking, and eighteen supersized arenas slowly appeared. Each one of the arenas was enveloped by a transparent barrier.

The people who had been standing on the Chuyun Platform were pushed to the side by the barrier. These people were newcomers who were participating in the Windcloud Competition for the first time.

The experienced participants were leaning against the edge of the Chuyun Platform with their arms crossed, as though they were watching a good show.

Eighteen rays of black light descended from the sky and landed onto each of the 18 arenas.

Xiao Qixiu announced in a loud voice, "There will be a professional judge responsible for every arena. If they have to take action to save you, you will be judged as having failed."

"Let me give you a word of caution. Death and injury may be inevitable, but you have to know when to stop.

"Furthermore, you must be resolved to die when you step onto that stage. The judges aren't gods. There'll be times where even they're not paying attention. Sometimes they're dazed, shocked, or just scratching an itch. And during those times, they might not be able to save you."

A few newcomers became flustered when they heard this. This was a little different from what they had imagined it'd be like.

The judges would be in a daze?

What kind of joke was that? Weren't they professionals?

The more experienced participants smiled but didn't say anything. Elder Xiao's jokes were always like that. They always made others feel flustered.

The experienced participants knew that the executive elders of the Spiritual Law Division were all immensely powerful and stoic. Why would they be in a daze when they were in the arena?

Or scratching an itch at that?

That was laughable!

The corners of Xiao Qixiu's mouth twitched when he saw most of the newcomers below him start to become flustered. His expression changed a little.

This was more like it!

Life was filled with surprises. How could he allow them to step into the arena in peak condition every time?

He raised his hands. A long, ancient chime of a clock echoed reverberated from far away, "Dong…"

"It's noon. The Windcloud Competition will now begin!"

At arena number 12, the judge looked at the people outside the barrier and announced with a cold expression:

"This group battle will be held elimination-style. The last person standing in the arena will be the winner."

"The top ten people in the group will receive a prize and will move onto the next round of the competition, so please try your best!"

He waved his arms symbolically, then said coldly, "Register your attendance and enter the arena!"

"Number 1101, Zhou Zuo."

A shorter teenager trembled, then walked over. Liu Zhen, who was behind him, instructed, "Take out your token and press it onto the barrier."

Zhou Zuo did as he was told, and was pulled into the arena.

"Number 1102, Liu Zhen."

Liu Zhen only now realized that they had registered for the competition together and had been given successive serial numbers.

"Number 1120, Zhao Xiaosan."

There was a bitter expression on the teenager's face, as if he were on his way to his execution.

"Number 1130, Xu Xiaoshou."

No one replied.

The judge's brow furrowed. "Number 1130, Xu Xiaoshou," he repeated.

There was still no reply.

It became a little rowdy in the area outside the arena.

"Didn't Xu Xiaoshou come out of his seclusion?"

"That's right. I was there to collect his corpse the other day and saw him. He didn't die!"

"Did he oversleep?"

"That's not possible. I think I saw him on the way here. He was walking weirdly."

"Maybe you saw wrong."

The judge was furious. "Number 1130, Xu Xiaoshou?" he shouted.

Everyone quietened down and looked around. However, they didn't see Xu Xiaoshou.

If Xu Xiaoshou didn't show up before time was up, there was nothing else the judge could do other than assume that Xu Xiaoshou had forfeited and skip past him and continue with the next participant.

Who was this Xu Xiaoshou? He was really gutsy. He dared to be late for the Windcloud Competition?

In the spectator seats.

Unlike the other arenas, there was an audience in the spectator seats of arena number 12. Three people, at that.

One of them was a svelte lady dressed in a red dress. She was leaning lazily back in her chair, showing off her graceful physique. Her glossy red lips moved.

"Sister Su, is that the Brother Little Beast that you brought me here to watch? Did you forget to wake him up?"

The younger lady by her side, who was wearing a white shirt, turned red. "What are you talking about, Sister Rao!" she cajoled.

"Brother Little Beast will definitely come. He must've gotten held up by something. This is his last competition. I have to come and watch."

The lady in white, Su Qianqian, was about fourteen years old. She was a young girl, but she had a giant sword that was even taller than she was. It was now lying horizontally across her lap.

She gently stroked the giant sword on her lap, a nostalgic look in her eyes. "I didn't have any friends back when I entered the outer yard. Brother Little Beast helped me out a bunch. It was only because of him that I was able to enter the inner yard in a month."

I didn't have any friends back when I entered the outer yard…

"A month…" Rao Yinyin lowered her head and muttered. She knew that Su Qianqian didn't mean it, but that only made her words hurt even more!

Further away.

Elder Qiao squatted on his seat, pulling on his ears. "That darned Xu Xiaoshou. Where did he run off to!?" he scolded.

"Does he want me to personally oust him from the palace?

"He's making me so anxious!"

Within the barrier.

"For the last time!" the judge announced, sounding like the Grim Reaper himself. "Number 1130, Xu Xiaoshou!"

The 99 people in the arena, the judge, and the three people outside the arena eagerly looked on.

Just where was Xu Xiaoshou?

Report chapter

Chapter 6: Manically Drawing Aggro

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

Xu Xiaoshou was on his way. He had one foot facing toward him and the other facing outward. He trudged on, bearing the elements.

He had woken up an hour early to rush over to the arena, and he still wasn't there yet, even after walking for so long. "That darned Breathing Technique…"

An old man in a straw hat walked past him on crutches. The old man wasn't walking fast, but he breezed past Xu Xiaoshou.

Sometime later, the old man turned back, as if he thought it weird that a young man was walking slower than a tortoise.

"You're from the outer yard?

"Lad, are you not going to participate in the Windcloud Competition?"

Xu Xiaoshou's teeth were chattering. "I… I'm on my way!" he stammered.

The old man lowered his gaze and looked at Xu Xiaoshou's feet, then smiled meaningfully. "You can't overdo things, young man!"

Xu Xiaoshou's expression turned dark. He nearly staggered and fell. All he could do was curse internally, "That darned Spiritual Cultivation Pill…"

This was all because of the terrifying combination of the Breathing Technique and the Spiritual Cultivation Pill.

During these three days of preparation, Xu Xiaoshou had suppressed the high… a weird sensation, and absorbed the 20 Spirit Crystals. His cultivation level had instantly jumped to the peak of Level Four.

He'd ascertained that there were no side effects to such a cultivation method and understood how powerful the Breathing Technique was. Even though its rate of absorption wasn't fast, he could absorb a large amount of energy in one go.

He'd gotten more and more engrossed in his training and had been one step away from reaching Spiritual Cultivation Level Five. How could he stop there?

So he'd dragged his trembling body, thinking about how he still had one night before the start of the competition. How could he waste that time?

Time was money. Time was life!

Thus, he had dug out the Spiritual Cultivation Pill and given it some thought. Afraid that the effects of the pill wouldn't be enough for him to achieve a breakthrough, he had thus cleared his lungs and taken a deep breath with his nose close to the pill.

That deep breath had caused him a world of trouble!

He couldn't absorb much energy from a palm-sized Spirit Crystal. The Spiritual Cultivation Pill was only the size of a fingernail. With his deep breath, the pill had shrunk to nearly half its original size.

What did that mean?

Well, ordinarily, 99% of the Spiritual Cultivation Pill's spiritual energy would be scattered into the surroundings when a Spiritual Cultivator absorbed the pill. Even so, the amount of spiritual energy they absorbed was enough to boost the speed of their cultivation by several times.

The Breathing Technique absorbed 100% of the energy…

Thus, by the time he had realized that something was off, his body had already been assaulted by a high that had been amplified several hundred times. Who could last against that?

It was no longer a high at that point. It felt more like he'd consumed an explosive.

His back went ramrod straight, and his heart suddenly stopped. He immediately became unconscious!

That breath was equivalent to an ordinary person consuming dozens of Spiritual Cultivation Pills. The pill's powerful effect reflected this.

During his coma, Xu Xiaoshou not only broke through to the next level, but his cultivation level even shot up to the peak of Level Five, and he nearly hit Level Six.

When he'd regained consciousness, he'd felt like his body had been through the wringer, and like he was floating on air. His eyes were murky, his teeth chattered…

It was as though he'd been… in a coma.

And he'd only taken a small whiff of the pill, darn it!

He was walking by pushing his right foot forward with his left foot, then stabilizing himself with his right foot.

He would fall on his butt if he didn't get this under control!

Xu Xiaoshou quickly consumed the other half of the pill orally and absorbed it using a normal cultivation method. He felt a little better.

Even though it was a waste of resources, he had no other choice at this moment. Being able to participate in the competition was the most important thing right now.

"Dong…"

A long, melancholic ring of a bell broke the silence.

Xu Xiaoshou bade his goodbyes to the old man and quickened his footsteps as he walked toward the Chuyun Platform.

The old man wearing a straw hat watched Xu Xiaoshou stagger and shook his head. "It's good to be young!" he exclaimed.

On the Chuyun Platform, at arena number 12.

"For the last time!"

"Number 1130, Xu Xiaoshou!"

Everyone eagerly craned their necks. A young man carrying a sword behind his back staggered over under the intense sun.

"Here… Wait a moment!" His voice was weak.

The young lady in the white shirt in the spectator seats, Su Qianqian, looked incredibly excited. "Brother Little Beast!"

"That's him?"

Rao Yinyin was a little curious. However, she became giddy when she saw how the young man was walking. "Sister Su, what did you do to him?"

"Huh?"

Su Qianqian didn't understand what she meant. But her face immediately turned red when she looked at Xu Xiaoshou again and saw how he was walking. She clenched her fists and pounded on the chest of the lady in the red dress. "Hmph, I'm ignoring you!"

Further away, Elder Qiao also heaved a sigh of relief when he saw Xu Xiaoshou. "You've finally come, lad…"

"Hng, look at how he's walking. He must have gone to do something bad."

In the arena.

Xu Xiaoshou weakly clasped his hands together before the judge. "Sorry. I was held up by something."

He tightened his legs after speaking.

The judge was speechless. "From the way you're acting, people could easily think you were held up because you were doing something bad," he thought.

At the same time, another ring from the bell echoed out from the horizon.

"Dong…"

The judge sliced his hand downward. "The competition starts now!"

As soon as he said this, the scene erupted into activity.

Some took advantage of the fact that the people around them were distracted by Xu Xiaoshou to throw them out of the arena. A few people were immediately eliminated.

"You're asking for death!"

The people who didn't fall for the surprise attack immediately became furious and engaged in a furious battle with their attacker.

Xu Xiaoshou had just entered the arena and was leaning by the edge. He was far away from the battlefield. He became anxious when he saw the number of people on the battlefield gradually dwindle.

Those were headcounts!

He needed those headcounts for his plan to strike it rich. All of them were Passive Points. How could they eliminate each other like that?

"Stop!"

A forceful shout reverberated throughout the arena. Despite being forceful, his gusto couldn't hide the weakness in his voice. However, that shout caused everyone in the arena to stop fighting.

Everyone was dazed. They turned back to look at Xu Xiaoshou, not understanding why they'd been frightened in their tracks.

What did that person want to do? Could it be that he was arrogant because he was a little further away from everyone else?

A few people shifted over, wanting to beat Xu Xiaoshou up.

The judge was also confused. He didn't expect this late person to harbor the power of the Innate Stage.

He looked at Xu Xiaoshou's level. Spiritual Cultivation Level Five? Hng, was he seeing things?

The three people in the spectator seats were also dazed. Elder Qiao was incredibly anxious and didn't notice anything. He wallowed in his anxiety. "That Xu Xiaoshou. What does he want to do? Is he not afraid of death?"

Rao Yinyin turned to look at the young lady. "Your Brother Little Beast sure has a spirit of self-sacrifice. He's giving up to allow others to advance to the next stage?"

Su Qianqian didn't speak. She grabbed onto the giant sword on her lap tightly, her eyes filled with worry.

In the arena, Xu Xiaoshou's legs immediately trembled after he shouted. He quickly covered them with his long sleeves.

He looked around and saw that the most powerful fighter here was only Level Eight. That person shouldn't be as strong as him.

"How lucky. I didn't encounter any of the bosses. Otherwise, I might've had to end my plan to get rich before I even started," Xu Xiaoshou said to himself.

"Cough, cough!" He let out a few light coughs to attract everyone's attention. He then pierced his black sword into the ground of the arena and leaned by the side of the barrier. He forcefully calmed himself down and said:

"Ladies and gentleman!

"I've learned an invincible technique and have a body that's strong without parallel. As the saying goes, one has to practice what he's learned after coming out of seclusion…

"So let's skip the nonsense. I'll fight all 100 of you alone, come!

"All of you have been surrounded by me, Xu Xiaoshou!"

Everyone in the arena had been a little shocked at being shouted at just now. However, all of them erupted into roaring laughter when they heard Xu Xiaoshou's words.

"Fight all 100 of us?"

"You must have forgotten to take a p*ss when you woke up this morning. Haven't you looked at yourself in a mirror?"

"Do you think we can't see your trembling legs and chattering teeth? Well, didn't you say you're going to fight all 100 of us alone? So what are you afraid of?"

"A limp prawn like you fight us? Do you not know your own ability?"

Xu Xiaoshou looked down at his legs. The term "limp prawn" was rather apt!

He had attracted all their aggression. A wave of shouts entered his ears. Even the judge wanted to have a go at him.

However, it was clear that he was a stoic judge. He forcefully pushed down his desire to battle.

"Got mocked. Passive Points 42."

"Got mocked. Passive Points 21."

The notification panel in his mind updated. Xu Xiaoshou raised his eyebrows. Indeed, a place with a lot of people was a great battlefield for Xu Xiaoshou!

Good mockery!

Please abuse me more!

Xu Xiaoshou was throbbing with the desire to battle. It looked like everyone around him was charging over to attack him. He pointed to the black sword at his side and said, "This is a ninth-grade spiritual sword. Whoever can defeat me…

"Hey, why are you fighting over there. Listen to me speak!

"Hey, hey!

"Here, look at me!"

He was halfway through his speech when the crowd thought that he was insane. They ignored him and continued with their battle.

Xu Xiaoshou was furious. He hit the few people approaching him to the ground with a few slaps.

"All of you stop!"

When his furious roar rang out, everyone could once again sense the power of an Innate Stage Fighter, and they all felt intimidated, a chill running down their spines. What was going on? Why had they strangely stopped once again?

When they turned their heads again, all they saw was a few people kneeling in front of Xu Xiaoshou, clutching their faces.

Level Five, Level Six, Level Seven…

What was going on? Why were they kneeling?

Everything had happened so fast. Even the people who'd been slapped were confused. "Didn't I come to beat him up?" they thought. "Why did my face suddenly hurt before I knelt?

The people who had seen everything the most clearly were the three people in the spectator seats.

There was a look of shock on Rao Yinyin's face. She said, startled, "Xu Xiaoshou sure is strong. To think that he has such speed and power despite only being Level Five."

Su Qianqian repeatedly nodded. "That's right!"

The judge was confused. He had turned his head and wasn't paying attention. Why was there another Innate aura? Who was releasing that?!

There were no such experts in his line of sight!

As a judge, he felt that he had to put a stop to Xu Xiaoshou's method of interrupting the competition. Thus, he opened his mouth and said coldly, "Candidate, please do not disrupt the battle. Otherwise, I'll have to take action and make you leave!"

"How am I disrupting the battle?" Xu Xiaoshou countered. "I'm also in the field. I'm a candidate!"

The judge didn't have a rebuttal. What Xu Xiaoshou said made sense!

"However, the competition has to continue!" the judge rejoined.

Xu Xiaoshou was dumbfounded. "Isn't the competition still going on!?"

He turned to look at the crowd, his eyes incredibly sincere. "All I wanted to say was…

"I'll give whoever can break through my defenses with their bare fists this ninth-grade spiritual sword!"

He pulled out the black sword and activated his spiritual strength. A spiritual glow circled the black sword as the sword's aura spread throughout the surroundings.

This has to move them.

"Got doubted. Passive Points 86."

Xu Xiaoshou was speechless. Why did no one believe him?

He looked at the judge and tossed him the sword. "You can be my witness!"

The judge was confused.

Did I agree to your request? Why did you toss the sword over to me?

"The responsibility of the judge is to prevent any candidate from being injured or killed," Xu Xiaoshou said before the judge could say anything. "There's no rule preventing me from doing this in the arena, right?!"

The judge was speechless.

"That's right!"

Someone in the crowd suddenly spoke up. "I agree with what Xu Xiaoshou said!" It was a tall man with a cultivation level of Level Seven. However, his eyes were glued to the black sword.

"I also agree!"

"Agreed!"

The scene changed instantly. A few dozen people stared at the ninth grade spiritual sword, all of them almost drooling.

The tall man who was the first to speak looked at Xu Xiaoshou. "Is what you said true?"

"Yes, truer than anything else in the world!" Xu Xiaoshou immediately said loudly when he saw that someone agreed with him.

This group of people would never be moved by something that didn't interest them. They were all birds from the same feather!

The three people in the spectator seats were taken aback by Xu Xiaoshou's actions. They looked at the rest of the arenas. The battles there were extremely heated. Each one of them seemed to be a fight to the death.

As for arena number 12… It now looked more like an auction house.

The host, Xu Xiaoshou, had captivated the crowd with his devilish words. The auction assistant, the judge, was holding the spiritual sword in hand. A group of people looked at him with hungry eyes.

Rao Yinyin covered her forehead with her palm and sighed, "What a weird development!"

"Brother Little Beast is so impressive!" Su Qianqian balled her hands into fists.

Elder Qiao was dumbfounded. He picked his jaw up off the floor.

"That lad, just what on earth is he doing!"

Report chapter

Chapter 7: Valuable Farming Tool

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

The judge looked melancholically up at the sky. This was the first time he had encountered such a difficult candidate.

The judge couldn't stop him. Xu Xiaoshou was a candidate, after all. Even though it was a little crazy to want to fight a hundred people alone, it didn't go against the rules of the competition.

However, if the judge didn't stop him, he felt that this situation would devolve into a slapstick drama. Would the group-stage competition be reduced to a large-scale casino?

"So what do you think?"

The judge felt a little giddy when faced with Xu Xiaoshou's question and the expectant gazes of the other people in the group. He didn't know what to do with the black sword in his hand.

In the air, the chief judge, Xiao Qixiu, noticed what was happening in arena number 12.

He couldn't help but notice what was going on. The rest of the participants had started battling in the other arenas. However, this arena was still silent, as though a class was in session.

One person was talking while a group of people listened…

Xiao Qixiu smiled and projected his voice over to the arena. "Good, a brazen youth! Agree with his request. Let him suffer a little."

Now that the judge had approval from his superior, he immediately waved his hand and said, "Agreed. Continue the competition!"

A glimmer immediately appeared in the tall, muscular man's eyes. He flew out of the crowd before anybody else could, his eyes greedy.

"I have a technique called the Hundred-Step Beast King Fist. Your sword is mine!"

The group behind him, who was still hesitating, suddenly became frustrated when they saw that someone had already taken the initiative to go after Xu Xiaoshou.

Indeed, the opportunity always goes to the person who seizes it first. What a waste of such a great sword. The sword had just sat collecting dust in Xu Xiaoshou's hands, and now it was being wagered as a bet. It would fall in the hands of a pugilist now.

"Senior Liu, do you want to give it a try? Your Great Darkness Calamity Fist…" Zhou Zuo was a little tempted to take action. However, he knew where his strengths lay and didn't dare to attack.

Liu Zhen hid within the crowd and shook his head slightly. "Even though I've also achieved a breakthrough, that Xu Xiaoshou seems to have transformed into something extraordinary. Let's just observe the situation for the time being."

Looking at the familiar scene, he remembered how Xu Xiaoshou had made the corpse collectors cower that day he'd come out of his seclusion. Had he really achieved such a great breakthrough after only undergoing one death seclusion?

"Got doubted. Passive Points 12."

Xu Xiaoshou didn't know what the crowd was thinking. He looked at the muscular man approaching him with raised fists. The man was laughing into the air, looking incredibly prideful.

"Haha, come!"

As soon as he said this, an illusory image of a tiger and an accompanying roar swept over the arena, making everyone tremble. When they came to their senses, they saw a barrage of heavy punches thrown at Xu Xiaoshou in less than a second under the illusory figure.

"Boom, boom, boom…"

Xu Xiaoshou didn't use any techniques. He put up his bare fists, intending to take on the Hundred-Step Beast King Fist, a spiritual technique at the peak of the Acquired Stage, with his naked fists!

The spectators instantly erupted into exclamations.

"His bare fists?"

"He must be mad!"

"What's the source of his confidence? He wants to take on Qiu Wei's Hundred-Step Beast King Fist alone?"

"Hng, doesn't that Xu Xiaoshou only know that one White Cloud Sword Technique? I heard that he only managed to learn the first stroke after practicing it for three years…"

The crowd saw the four fists hit each other, and the sound of fists clashing rang out hundreds of times over, shaking the eardrums of everyone present.

Everyone saw Xu Xiaoshou, who was under the barrage of Qiu Wei's fists, striking back indiscriminately. All of his punches landed on thin air. On the other hand, the muscular man got out several tens of punches with every breath, each one of them connecting with Xu Xiaoshou's face.

"Oh God, how brutal. I can't look on anymore!"

"That Xu Xiaoshou must have come here to be funny. Does he really not know any fist techniques?"

Even the judge was shocked. This person…

"At first I thought he came here to just joke around," he thought. "Then later I felt that he was a powerful fighter. Now, it seems like he really did come here just to joke around!"

Every punch hit Xu Xiaoshou's face, and he was beaten around so much that he couldn't tell left from right. He looked like he was about to fall, but he didn't take a single step backward.

He couldn't move back. He'd exit the arena if he took another step backward.

Just as the others had said, Xu Xiaoshou didn't know any fist techniques. He'd also never heard of the so-called Hundred-Step Beast King Fist.

"However, why should that affect my combat ability?" he thought. "I'm strong, so I can be willful!"

The punches that landed on his face only caused him slight pain. In fact, it'd even punched away the weird sensation lingering in his body from yesterday night. The punches didn't injure him at all!

As the flurry of punches continued to rain down on him, the notification panel in his mind constantly updated itself.

"Got attacked. Passive Points 34."

"Got attacked. Passive Points 46."

"Got attacked. Passive Points 32."

"Got attacked. Passive Points 42."

Xu Xiaoshou was elated. He saw the notification panel update like crazy while he took the fist technique head-on. This fist technique was blasting him with a hundred punches every second. He was loving all the Passive Points he was amassing!

Just as he'd expected, a person who only knew an Acquired-stage fist technique couldn't break through the defenses of Strengthen at the Innate Stage.

Even if the cultivation level of the other party was Level Seven!

"Are you helping me scratch my itch?" Xu Xiaoshou said, taking advantage of a lull in his opponent's attack. His mouth was hit by a flurry of punches the next second.

The muscular man, Qiu Wei, became increasingly shocked the more he attacked him. He was already starting to feel tired. Why was it that this person didn't seem to sustain any damage from his punches?

"Die!" he shouted in fury when he heard Xu Xiaoshou. His body suddenly turned red and released white smoke. The speed of his fists doubled.

"Blood Ignition Technique?"

"He's gone mad. Qiu Wei has gone mad!"

Everyone was captivated by the battle, their blood boiling. The current speed of Qiu Wei's fists could allow him to rival a Spiritual Cultivation Level Nine fighter!

"Got attacked. Passive Points 94."

"Got attacked. Passive Points 88."

"Got attacked. Passive Points 102."

Xu Xiaoshou was elated. He was completely overcome with joy!

The Passive Points continued to skyrocket on the notification panel in his mind. 500, 700, 900, 1000…

He shouted as he got hit, constantly goading on Qiu Wei. "Your attacks are great!"

"Faster!

"Yes, just like that. Keep going!

"It feels great, oh!" His fists landed on his throat.

The crowd was speechless.

The judge was speechless.

The spectators were standing quite far away from the battle and couldn't hear what the two people were saying. However, they were all shocked by the brutal scene.

"Will your Brother Little Beast's head turn into a pig's?" Rao Yinyin smiled as she asked this.

She looked at Su Qianqian. The young lady was staring intently at Qiu Wei, her eyes filled with murderous rage.

Rao Yinyin didn't know what to say.

The crowd's blood was boiling with the desire to take Qiu Wei's place and be the one to give the brazen Xu Xiaoshou a beating. It only took one of Xu Xiaoshou's fists flying toward someone close by to ignite a large battle.

All of them were young and hot-blooded, so they'd naturally become impatient after waiting for such a long time. Furthermore, hearing Xu Xiaoshou's cries had fueled their bloodlust.

A portion of the crowd started fighting each other off to the side, while another portion chose to continue waiting.

In actuality, Xu Xiaoshou and Qiu Wei hadn't been battling for that long at the edge of the arena, but the hundreds of blows they'd exchanged in a matter of seconds had thrilled the spectators.

"Look, that Xu Xiaoshou's legs… It doesn't look like he's moved from his original position," a weak voice suddenly came from within the spectating crowd.

Everyone immediately looked at his legs. Indeed, under the fast fists, Xu Xiaoshou was like unanchored duckweed. He was shaking and looked like he was about to fall.

He looked a little off-center, but in actuality, he hadn't moved from his original position.

"This…"

"How's that possible?"

"Could it be like Xu Xiaoshou said and that it's true that he learned an invincible technique?"

The Level Seven fighter who'd been slapped by Xu Xiaoshou into kneeling just now cradled his face and said indignantly, "I said before that he's very powerful, but you guys didn't believe me…"

"Oh? Did you say something just now?"

The Level Seven fighter was speechless.

He was a Level Seven fighter, yet he didn't even seem to exist in this group-stage competition… That darned Xu Xiaoshou had stolen the show.

Through the gaps between the flurry of punches, Xu Xiaoshou accidentally saw that a few battles had broken out in front of him. There went a good number of passive points. He became anxious again.

Why are you guys so anxious? Can't you wait a little before fighting?

He felt that he had to change his strategy!

Qiu Wei was unleashing a torrent of attacks. He suddenly saw Xu Xiaoshou, who looked like he was about to fall at any second, stand up straight. Xu Xiaoshou said calmly amidst the barrage of punches, "You're tired. You need to rest."

The next moment, an ordinary punch landed on Qiu Wei.

Boom!

The air crackled. Qiu Wei was instantly sent flying and crashed into the crowd.

"Take a rest. We can fight again later. Wait for me!" Xu Xiaoshou shouted at him from far away.

Qiu Wei was immensely useful for farming Passive Points. He must not lose him.

Qiu Wei was dumbfounded!

"What is that?" he thought. "I attacked you for what felt like half a day and tired myself out, yet you didn't sustain any damage, and you even asked me to take a rest?"

The rest of the people saw Qiu Wei get flown back into the ground from the ordinary punch, and took a few steps back in retreat.

Everyone now knew that Xu Xiaoshou had merely been pretending to be weak. He was a terrifying boss with an incredibly powerful body!

"My God, is he really only Level Five?"

"His body is more terrifyingly strong than that of a Level Eight or Level Nine fighter!"

"What kind of spiritual technique is that? Why have I never heard of it?"

"It's not a spiritual technique," Xu Xiaoshou laughed calmly. "It's Strengthen at the Innate Stage!"

The crowd was speechless.

Like we'd believe you! Was Strengthen at the Innate Stage really as powerful as this?

"Got doubted. Passive Points 32."

Sigh. Why was it that no one believed him when he told the truth!?

Xu Xiaoshou waved his hands in frustration.

"I was telling you guys the truth," he thought. "I can't do anything if you don't believe me."

He scanned the crowd and saw the battles happening at the back. "You guys over there, stop fighting. I'm your opponent!"

"I'll fight you!"

A man with a nose like a beak flew forward. He was Ye Zhongting and had a cultivation level of Level Eight.

"I have a technique called the Sun Offering Fist," he shouted crisply. "Do you dare to take it head-on?"

Without waiting for Xu Xiaoshou's reply, he threw a punch at Xu Xiaoshou. His fist flew at him, blazing with flames and billowing thick clouds of smoke.

Sun Offering Fist?

Xu Xiaoshou knew of this fist technique. It had to be charged for a long time and emphasized using one strike to neutralize an opponent.

He tilted his body to the side to avoid the frontal assault. He chopped his palm down toward the other party's wrist and took advantage of his opponent being in pain to grab his neck. He then made use of his opponent's momentum and sent him hurdling out of the arena.

Ye Zhongting was speechless.

"You've changed," he thought. "You weren't like that when fighting Qiu Wei just now."

He nearly started bawling.

He was Level Eight. He was a powerful force who was a contender for the number one spot in the group. However, he'd been thrown out of the arena because he'd been careless.

"Didn't you say that you were going to take the attack head-on? You big liar!" Xu Xiaoshou thought.

He clapped and said calmly, "I'm sorry. I'm more interested in fist techniques that can blast me with hundreds of punches in a second. Don't approach me with a technique like the Sun Offering Fist. Go and fight somewhere else!"

He glanced at the notification panel after he spoke and trembled.

Passive Points: 1766.

That meant that just Qiu Wei alone had given him over a thousand Passive Points!

With that as a precedent, why would he waste his time on a fist technique that could only hit him once?

The crowd looked at Ye Zhongting outside the arena and felt that they were now no longer the hunters but the hunted.

"Stop!"

Xu Xiaoshou shouted again. Everyone weirdly stopped fighting. The arena, which had been ablaze with fighting, instantly became deathly quiet.

The judge had a few failures on his hands. He was suddenly interrupted halfway through his job. His fury soared!

He constantly told himself not to be impulsive. That person was also a candidate…

Xu Xiaoshou looked around with a belittling gaze, once again igniting the fury in everyone's hearts. He then suddenly flicked his sleeves and grabbed his legs, which had largely stopped trembling. He took on a fighting stance.

"Time is limited. All of you can attack me at once!"

Report chapter

Chapter 8: Xu Xiaoshou, Hang In There!

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

In the air, Xiao Qixiu, who'd been observing arena number 12 from the start, smiled slightly.

The outer yard disciples this year were high-quality candidates. This was the third Innate Stage fighter he had discovered today.

This person had an Innate Stage physical body that was incredibly difficult to detect. That was really rare!

If not for the two faint consecutive Innate Stage auras that had appeared, even he would have been fooled by the young man called Xu Xiaoshou.

That lad really had… Um, a strange talent.

In the arena.

A group of people lost all rationality when they heard Xu Xiaoshou's words.

A mere Spiritual Cultivation Level Five fighter dared to say such insolent words? Just because his body was strong without parallel didn't mean his body had actually reached the Innate Stage.

"I can't take it anymore. This lad is really asking for a beating!"

"It looks like just one person won't satisfy him. Since that's the case, let's all join forces and send this limp prawn out of the arena!"

"Brothers, attack!"

Forty to fifty people pounced forward at the same time. Some of them had their fists raised, some carried swords, while some hid around and prepared to launch sneaky surprise attacks and manueverings…

Xu Xiaoshou looked at the forty to fifty murderous people in front of him and trembled. Their dark expressions were rather terrifying.

However, he steeled his nerves and charged forward. He roared furiously to boost his courage, "If you're a man, use your fists. Those of you who are wielding swords, put them down if you have the guts!"

Boom, boom!

Mayhem instantly erupted, and Xu Xiaoshou was swarmed by a wave of people. Su Qianqian, who was in the spectator seats, let out a nervous squeal when she saw the scene, and she tightly grabbed onto Rao Yinyin's rather short red dress.

"He's quite daring!" Rao Yinyin observed Xu Xiaoshou being clobbered and laughed.

"Got attacked. Passive Points 14."

"Got attacked. Passive Points 16."

The notification panel got updated once again. Xu Xiaoshou charged into the crowd and took on countless punches with his body. He used his fists to sweep the people wielding swords to the side and kicked them out of the arena.

He didn't want to fight anyone using blades, swords, or daggers…

"F," he thought. "There are even people using silver needles?"

"Get out of the arena, all of you!

"In my arena, we fight to the death with our fists!

"I can endure thousands of punches, but even an Innate-stage physical body will bleed when slashed by a spiritual weapon, even if it's one without a grade.

"So all of you are fated to leave the arena!"

Xu Xiaoshou cleared the arena and expanded the battlefield. At the same time, he experimented with different poses so that he could receive even more punches at the same time.

A human body's surface area was rather limited. Even if forty to fifty people were charging over toward you, not more than ten people could actually hit you at the same time.

However, it was different for Xu Xiaoshou. He pounced, crawled, and leapt the moment a punch landed on him. He tried every possible way to get everyone to hit him.

The only thing he needed to pay attention to was protecting his vital areas from being damaged.

"Got attacked. Passive Points 11."

"Got attacked. Passive Points 22."

"Got attacked. Passive Points 33."

The Passive Points reflected in his notifications continued to increase in his mind. It started from the tens and slowly rose to the twenties, then the thirties…

Xu Xiaoshou's technique became more and more refined. At the same time, his attackers became more and more excited as they continued to attack.

They couldn't see the brazen lad. However, for some reason, their punches would always land on that lad's detestable face every time they threw one out.

Every punch that connected with his flesh felt amazing!

It felt really good!

"Am I actually this powerful?" some thought.

Some people had even closed their eyes as they were fighting. They felt as though they'd reached an epiphany and become more in tune with the path of cultivation.

This is… what the Innate Stage feels like!

Mum, I achieved a breakthrough!

The judge was in a daze. This was a brutal scene!

He saw the handsome face of the insolent lad from just now get beaten into a new shape by the people surrounding him.

His caved-in abdomen, his raised forearms, and even his stiff toes were terrifyingly brutalized at every moment.

Xu Xiaoshou's shoes had fallen off during the beating, as he'd found that he could extend his toes to create more surface area for punches that way.

The judge was dumbfounded. Had those people consumed drugs? Why had they suddenly become so ferocious!?

He saw a person who was Level Three. "What is he doing? He's closing his eyes?"

"Wow…

"Didn't his punch hit the air? Why did it coincidentally hit Xu Xiaoshou's shoulder?

"There's also a Level Two fighter over there…

"What?

"How could he have persisted and not been thrown out of the arena until now?

"My God!

He was nearly sent out of the arena, but Xu Xiaoshou hooked himself back in with his foot.

"How is that possible?!"

The judge broke down!

The situation felt off the more Xu Xiaoshou fought. Why had the number of people decreased?

Xu Xiaoshou clearly looked like he was trying hard to stay in the arena. Even so, the number of people in the arena had gradually dropped from sixty to just over forty.

Suddenly, he saw a few figures hiding deep within the shadows. They were picking on the people who had their eyes closed and were experiencing the path of cultivation. Anybody who closed their eyes would definitely be sent flying out of the arena.

"Darn them. They dare to attack my Passive Points?!" he thought.

Xu Xiaoshou secretly adjusted his posture and slowly closed in on those poisonous tumors before sending them flying out of the arena one by one.

These scheming candidates were the first to be sent flying by Xu Xiaoshou's strange fighting style.

All the people who'd been sent flying outside of the arena were dazed. None of them knew how they'd gotten eliminated.

In the spectator seats, the young lady, Su Qianqian, had covered her eyes with her hand, not daring to look at the scene. Even Rao Yinyin felt that it was a little over the top.

In the arena, the competitors stopped crowding together as they'd had at the start. Instead, they gradually expanded their formation and created a large net.

The attackers at every point of the net didn't have to move too much. All they had to do was send Xu Xiaoshou flying and wait for Xu Xiaoshou to be pushed back to them.

The "pitiful" Xu Xiaoshou was like a sandbag. He was sent flying all around the offensive web and hit on every part of his body.

The judge thought that it was about time for him to step in. Even though he felt that Xu Xiaoshou was detestable and wanted to give him a few punches of his own, he was a stoic judge. He had to calmly enforce the rules.

Just as he was about to shout for the competitors to stop, he suddenly caught a glimpse of the "sandbag" Xu Xiaoshou's expression.

What kind of perverted expression was that!?

He had a wide smile, which made him look like he was enjoying the process. He had a comfortable look under his swollen face. He looked incredibly at ease.

It was simply…

He didn't look like someone who was being attacked. Instead, he looked as though he were enjoying a massage…

He listened closely and realized that the sandbag was chattering continuously amidst the volley of punches.

"It feels great!

"Punch me harder if you have the guts.

"Faster. It's best that you hit me a thousand times in a second!

"F*. You can't kick me there…"

The judge was speechless.

He silently lowered his hand that he'd been about to raise to stop the violence, and decided to keep quiet.

Perhaps he doesn't need me to get involved…

"Dong…"

The ancient chime of the clock once again reverberated from the horizon, making everyone jump. Xiao Qixiu's voice followed: "There's an hour left until the end of the group-stage competition!"

He'd made this rule up just now on the spot specially for arena number 12.

That was because the battles in the rest of the seventeen arenas had all ended a long time ago.

The battles in the other arenas had all been simple and traditional in style. The most powerful fighters had sat off to the side and meditated while those less powerful cleared the field, indigantly fighting each other until only one was left.

A magnificent and brutal battle had only erupted in arena number 12.

At this moment, all of the people who'd been sent out of the arena gathered in the spectator seats of arena number 12, even though they could've gone back to rest if they'd wanted to.

All of them watched the merciless scene with wide eyes.

"What's going on?"

"The people in arena number 12 are too insane!"

"They don't even see him as human. They're beating him up like he's a beast!"

"That's right. It'd be fine if they were just surrounding him and beating him up. But why the extreme method? They should give him some respect and not hit his face…"

"Yes, yes. We're from the same spirit palace and are bound to encounter each other someday. Tsk tsk!"

A weak fighter would often attract the sympathy of the onlookers. Some of the female disciples couldn't bear to watch the fight any longer and started bawling. They cried as they cheered Xu Xiaoshou on.

"Darn it… Ah, I wasn't talking about you… Xu Xiaoshou, hang in there!"

"Xu Xiaoshou, hang in there!"

"Xu Xiaoshou, you're the best!"

The cheers spread like wildfire the moment the first one rang out, filling the entire arena.

The spectators who didn't know the reason for the beating voiced their outrage, saying it was unjust. They cheered Xu Xiaoshou on as they furiously looked on at the people who had just been sent flying out of arena number 12.

The people who had "voluntarily exited the arena" felt indignant. "Why are you guys saying that when you don't even know the truth? Why don't you get in the arena?" they thought to themselves.

In the arena.

Xu Xiaoshou dropped all pretense when he heard that he only had less than an hour left.

He had long drawn the crowd to the edge of the arena while being beaten up. On the surface, this group of people looked like they were dealing a great deal of damage, but they had actually been manipulated by him.

This was like taichi. Once the momentum was created, even the attacker wouldn't be able to stop.

Xu Xiaoshou jumped toward the area outside the arena. All of the attackers followed like moths to a flame, looking shocked as they found themselves leaping out of the arena.

In that instant, the arena fell silent.

"My God!"

"What happened?"

Everyone in the spectator seats erupted into exclamations. There must be something wrong with arena number 12. They were fighting like absolute maniacs and now they were jumping out of the arena just because someone else had jumped?

Had they been frightened by the cheers and suddenly felt irreversibly ashamed?

In the arena.

After Xu Xiaoshou's actions, only four people were left in the arena, excluding the judge.

He forcefully dragged over the muscular man who had been the first to attack him. His name was Qiu Wei, right?

"There's still about half an hour left. I thought about it for a long time and still think that your damage output is the best. Come, let us fight again!" Xu Xiaoshou said sincerely.

This person's Hundred-Step Beast King Fist was equivalent to 50 elite soldiers!

Qiu Wei turned pale when he heard that. He looked around him and found no friends.

An indescribable feeling of fatigue swelled up within him. He retched, then immediately jumped out of the arena.

Xu Xiaoshou was perplexed.

The judge could no longer watch. He waved his hand and said, "The competition has ended!"

Off to the side.

Liu Zhen let out a deep breath as he watched Xu Xiaoshou, who had destroyed both the minds and bodies of the competitors. He said, rather relaxed, "I told you to wait. I wasn't wrong, right? We placed in the top ten…"

Zhou Zuo swallowed, his face filled with shock.

"Brother Liu."

"We're in the top three!"

Report chapter

Chapter 9: Explosion of Bliss

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

"Xu Xiaoshou won?"

"Xu Xiaoshou won!"

The battle had ended. The barrier fell.

The loud cheers coming from the spectator seats startled Xu Xiaoshou. He turned around to take a look. "Wow, when did so many people come?" he thought.

"All of the outer yard disciples who were at the Chuyun Platform are here!"

Many junior disciples were in tears amongst the spectators. Xu Xiaoshou didn't know what they were crying about and could only assume that they'd gone insane.

"Got doubted. Passive Points 324."

"Got respected. Passive Points 1125."

Xu Xiaoshou glanced at the notification panel and nearly fell to his knees in shock.

What was this?

He could understand the first wave of doubt that he'd received. After all, Xu Xiaoshou had become the champion of the group-stage competition even though his cultivation level was only Level Five. He would naturally be doubted to some extent.

Even though Liu Zhen and Zhou Zuo were also on the stage, anybody with eyes could tell that they had slacked off during the competition. That meant that Xu Xiaoshou was obviously the champion.

As for the "respect" he'd gotten after that…

He couldn't really explain that!

Also, it seemed like it was the first time this had appeared on the notification panel.

Then…

Over a thousand Passive Points???

Xu Xiaoshou was dumbfounded.

He'd been fully concentrated on getting beaten up to earn more Passive Points and hadn't realized that he'd become a determined individual who'd never give up before turning the tide and achieving glory in the eyes of the spectators!

After all, in the eyes of the people who'd come later, he was a living sandbag being beaten up by the other competitors.

Those people were beasts. How could they be so heavy-handed with him? Look at Xu Xiaoshou's face. It was all green and purple…

Oh? Why were his injuries so minor?

The judge walked over with a tray in his hand, his face expressionless. The prize was a single ring.

Xu Xiaoshou raised an eyebrow. A space ring?

That was a valuable item. He'd never be able to afford such an item, even if he sold both his yard and his black sword.

He picked up the ring and pointed toward the judge's trembling hand. He then said sincerely, "Thank you, but you need not be excited for me."

The judge's hands trembled even more when he heard this.

Do I seem excited? Holding this tray is the only thing keeping me from unleashing my fury.

The judge didn't feel like he'd participated very much at all during the battle, other than interfering with a few battles, which made him feel a great deal of despair.

He'd wanted to do his job and fulfill his responsibilities well. However, he'd been forced to stand off to the side and do nothing.

Xu Xiaoshou had fooled him since the beginning. It was only after the battle had ended that he'd realized that Xu Xiaoshou had a darned Innate Stage physical body!

"I was wondering where the two auras of an Innate Stage fighter had come from. I didn't expect it to be him!" he thought.

The judge pushed down his emotions and coldly waved his arm. "Keep it up!"

Then he turned around to leave.

Xu Xiaoshou felt that the judge was acting a little strange. However, he returned the gesture and said to the judge's receding figure, "I'll keep working hard!"

The judge's hand trembled, and the tray flew out of his hands.

"Oh, my sword!" Xu Xiaoshou shouted behind the judge.

The judge pounced forward to catch the tray he'd thrown. Then he tossed the sword backward without turning his head around.

Xu Xiaoshou knitted his brows as he looked at the judge's back. He couldn't help but mutter, "He's acting so strangely!"

"Xu Xiaoshou!"

"Xu Xiaoshou!"

Everyone in the spectator seats was shouting. At the beginning, only a few young girls had been shouting, but by the end, the people around them had become so embarrassed that they were being stared at that they'd started shouting along with them.

Xu Xiaoshou felt very embarrassed. He didn't know why these people were acting so crazy. However, they were shouting his name and all looked very excited. Thus, he waved at the spectators.

"Sit down. Don't stand on formalities."

Rao Yinyin stood up and stretched. She pulled down the hem of her dress that the young lady had pulled to the top of her thigh and teased, "You can go and look for your Brother Little Beast now!"

Su Qianqian smiled, revealing the dimples in her cheeks. "There's no need. It's just great that Brother Little Beast doesn't have to leave the spirit palace now."

"Look at how agitated the girls beside you are. What if they snatch your Brother Little Beast away from you?"

"What are you talking about!" Su Qianqian blushed. "That thought hasn't crossed my mind."

"Oh? Is that so?"

"I'm ignoring you!"

Su Qianqian leapt off her chair, her head accidentally knocking into Rao Yinyin's chest. She lowered her head and picked up her large sword before running away.

"Tsk tsk, how cute…"

Xu Xiaoshou noticed the two of them. There weren't many Innate Stage auras in the area. While his Innate-Stage physical body wasn't easily detectable, that didn't mean that the auras of other Innate Stage fighters weren't.

At the very least, their ethereal demeanors were completely different from those of the girls who were screaming his name.

"Su Qianqian…?"

"It's been a long time…"

He was busy looking in the direction the young girl was running when he noticed the girl in the red dress walking behind her suddenly look back at him. She winked at him and smiled.

"Got seduced. Passive Points 1."

Xu Xiaoshou was still a little distracted, but he was so surprised he almost vomited blood when he saw the new notification.

Darn it. Some things should be left unspoken. You don't always have to announce these things!

Broken system!

Everyone left.

Everyone who'd come was a Spiritual Cultivator. Even though they'd been his fans just now, they'd never do anything out of character.

Um, at least in public…

Xu Xiaoshou moved to leave, but Elder Qiao appeared before him.

"What an impressive lad. To think that you were able to turn the tide even after you got beaten up like that. You sure have your methods!"

"Elder Qiao?"

Elder Qiao's expression turned dark. "You didn't notice me, did you? All your attention was focused on those two girls?"

"Hehe!" Xu Xiaoshou said as he walked. "How could that be? Weren't you the first to come here?!"

"That's right!"

Xu Xiaoshou was relieved. Fortunately for him, he'd made the right guess. He'd also changed his tone so that his words sounded like a statement rather than a question. Elder Qiao didn't see through his lie.

"When did you achieve an Innate-stage physical body? You dared to keep it from even me?" Elder Qiao questioned.

"What? You dare to ask me this question?" he thought.

Xu Xiaoshou instantly felt indignant. "Didn't I tell you last time that I've reached the Innate stage? You didn't believe me then."

The last time?

Elder Qiao remembered the last time they'd met in the Spiritual Affairs Division and smiled awkwardly. "At that time… Only a ghost would've believed you!"

Seeing that Xu Xiaoshou was about to act up again, he quickly took out a pill bottle and stuffed it into Xu Xiaoshou's hands. "You must've been injured!

"Here, I'll give you this. Go back and tend to your wounds well. I'll see you next time!" He instantly fled after saying his piece.

Xu Xiaoshou was speechless.

"Did he have to do that?" he thought. "All I was going to do was curse a little. I wouldn't have chewed you out."

He looked at the pills that Elder Qiao had given him, and felt his heart warm…

Oh?

Elder Qiao, pills…

Xu Xiaoshou suddenly shivered.

Xu Xiaoshou washed up after returning to his room, then lay down on his soft bed that had been cleaned. He felt comfortable.

Even though he had predicted it, actually becoming the champion of the group-stage competition and achieving the best accomplishment he'd had in three years still felt like a dream.

All he could say was that the Innate-stage Strengthen was an extremely terrifying technique!

In the past, he wouldn't have lasted even a second under such an attack. However, now, all he had were a few superficial wounds, and his muscles and nerves were a little strained. His injuries were basically non-existent.

The swelling and bruising on his face could be healed in just one training session.

He thought about the pills that Elder Qiao had given him. He didn't dare to use them.

Xu Xiaoshou took out the champion's ring and established ownership over it with his blood. He saw that there was a space that was about half the size of a house within the ring, and became elated.

There weren't many things in the ring, only a hundred Spirit Crystals and a bottle of pills. Most of its value came from the ring itself.

Xu Xiaoshou took out the pill bottle and had a look.

Spiritual Cultivation Pills…

He was shaken. He quickly put the items back, alongside a few of his miscellaneous items.

It felt great to have a small storage space everywhere he went.

He wasn't in the habit of wearing rings. Thus, he threaded a piece of string through the ring and made it a necklace.

This was the first victory he'd had in this arduous life. It was very memorable. He had to treasure the ring.

He lay on the bed and adjusted his posture so that he could achieve the greatest comfort.

"Then, here comes the main event…" he thought.

"How many Passive Points did I gain from being brutally attacked during that pitiful battle?"

Aside from stealing a few glances at his total Passive Points earlier during the battle, he'd held himself back from looking at the value throughout the battle. He'd tried his best to ignore the number at the bottom of the interface all for this moment!

Xu Xiaoshou's heart beat wildly. He looked at the very bottom of the notification panel in the red interface.

He was overcome with happiness, so much so that he felt a "buzz" in his brain. The notification panel in his mind went dark and then came back on again.

His fingers cramped up as he subconsciously counted, "One, two, three…"

"Five… Five digits!"

Passive Points: 17660.

Chapter 10: Black Screen?

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

Xu Xiaoshou leapt up off the bed like a spring.

17000!

He confirmed the number again. It was 17000!

"I've struck it rich, I've struck it rich…"

"Not counting the punches that didn't inflict any damage, 17000 Passive Points means I got punched more than 1000 times if one punch is worth one Passive Point…"

Xu Xiaoshou rubbed the back of his head. "What a miserable experience that was!"

He had crossed over to this world, yet he had to sacrifice his body to earn Passive Points….

How humiliating!

However, when he turned his head and looked at the five-digit number again…

It felt great!

"Calm down, calm down!"

Xu Xiaoshou sat on his bed again and forcefully calmed himself down. His hands were trembling he was so agitated.

This was just the start. He still didn't know what he could obtain from the wheel using 17000 Passive Points.

This nervous and excited feeling was his favorite.

Xu Xiaoshou tapped open the store. The two items on the shelves had already lit up, which meant that he had enough currency to purchase these items.

"Oh? There's something new?"

He realized that there was another gray item in the third box.

"When did this appear?"

Xu Xiaoshou was curious. He tapped on the option to have a look.

"Level Two Skill Point (Purchase: 5000 Skill Points)."

5000?!

Xu Xiaoshou's eyes bulged. He only saw the words "Level Two" preceding it a second later.

The only thing that could fit within the description of "Level Two" out of his passive skills was the Innate-stage Strengthen.

"Does that mean this Level Two Skill Point is required to level up Strengthen?

"Does an ordinary Skill Point lose its effect on a passive skill that's reached the Innate Stage? Do all those skills require a Level Two Skill Point to level up?"

Xu Xiaoshou seemed to understand what was going on. However, why was the item grayed out? Why couldn't he purchase it?

"I have enough Passive Points!

"5000 Passive Points into 17000 Passive Points means I should be able to buy three Level Two Skill Points!"

"Hmm…

"After nearly being beaten to death, all I can afford is three Level Two Skill Points." Xu Xiaoshou felt a little indignant when he thought about it like this.

The new Level Two Skill Point caused him to lapse into thought.

"Perhaps the Passive System is correlated with my cultivation level. Could it be that I'll only be able to purchase the Level Two Skill Point after my cultivation level has increased past the ten levels and into the Innate Stage?"

Xu Xiaoshou felt that his deduction was valid.

If not for this restriction, he could become a saint or a deity just by pumping all of his Skill Points into Strengthen and leveling it up way past the Innate Stage.

But was that possible?

According to the Wooden Bucket Theory, a bucket's capacity was determined by its shortest stave. However, this theory didn't hold if he only had one long stave.

Would a rabbit with a body as strong as a lion be able to defeat a real lion?

Hm…

Even though it was possible, that scenario probably wouldn't happen in most circumstances.

The rabbit might instinctively run away the moment it encountered the lion.

However, it might trip over itself because of its unnatural physical limitations and send itself into the cavernous jaws of the lion.

"That sounds logical…"

Xu Xiaoshou wasn't that conflicted. He didn't intend to continue leveling Strengthen up anyway. His current Innate-stage physical body was enough.

Furthermore, he had a long road ahead of him. He didn't want to be powerful by depending on just Strengthen alone. He had to expand his skillset.

He now had 17000 Passive Points. It was time for him to experience the joy of ten consecutive lucky draws!

"Hehe!"

Xu Xiaoshou rubbed his hands together and purchased ten Passive Keys without hesitation.

Passive Points: 7660.

Xu Xiaoshou felt a slight stab of pain in his heart when he saw his Passive Points instantly plummet by 10000. However, he felt a little comforted when he thought about the new skill he might get.

Also, he still had over 7000 Passive Points left. He could immediately level any new skill he obtained later to Lv 8 if the skill was powerful enough!

He'd managed to obtain Strengthen in three… no, four draws the last time, which showed that the odds of obtaining a skill from the wheel were decent.

Xu Xiaoshou followed what he did last time and stuck the ten keys into the red wheel that was covered by fog. He didn't dare to look at the notification panel while he inserted the keys.

The keys vanished one by one as he inserted them into the wheel, and the sound of Xu Xiaoshou's pounding heart was the only thing that could be heard in the quiet room.

"Hah! RNGesus!" Xu Xiaoshou shouted as the last key vanished, and drew an eight trigram formation in the air before looking at the notification panel.

"Better luck next time!"

"Better luck next time!"

"Better luck next time!"

"Better luck next time!"

"Better luck next time!"

"Puuu!"

Xu Xiaoshou was so upset he almost vomited blood and fell over.

The notification panel had given him five consecutive strikes of despair.

"I'll use my full power!"

His heart was in his throat. But he collected himself and continued looking down the notification panel in despair.

"Better luck next time!"

"Better luck next time!"

"One extra key!"

"Obtained Extended Passive Skill: Sharpness!"

"Better luck next time!"

Thud!

With a thud, the headboard nearly split in half from Xu Xiaoshou's violent strike.

One!

There's one!

Xu Xiaoshou was excited. He no longer allowed himself the hope of obtaining two skills from this draw, afraid that his heart wouldn't be able to stand it.

But he was more afraid of getting "Better luck next time" ten times in a row. That would send him straight over the edge.

Sharpness?

Xu Xiaoshou mulled over the term. What kind of effect would it have?

With the two lessons he'd learned from the Breathing Technique and Strengthen, he now knew that the skills he obtained from the Passive System wouldn't have any awe-inspiring names.

But even though their names were incredibly simplistic, all the items from the wheel were incredibly practical, and their names closely matched their effect.

Sharpness…

What effect would it have?

Since this was still an extended passive skill, it should still affect his body rather than have an effect like making the Hiding Pain in his hands sharper.

However, which part of his body would become sharper?

Teeth?

Hair?

Toes?

Xu Xiaoshou looked puzzled. How was this skill useful? Did he draw a dud?

He raised his hands and closely examined his fingernails. It seemed…

Had his fingernails grown longer?

Or was he just imagining things, sort of like a placebo effect?

Xu Xiaoshou extended all ten of his fingers and stabbed them toward the ground.

"Sssss!"

The next second, he grinned in pain and shook his hand.

He had pierced four holes into the ground, as well as made a tiny indentation.

This…

This wasn't Sharpness!

This was Strengthen. It was an effect that came with his Innate Stage physical body!

Xu Xiaoshou slipped into deep thought and finally realized a terrifying problem. Could passive skills overlap?

This thought nearly made him cry.

"Darned system. I spent 10000 Passive Points on this!"

"No, no!"

"The system wouldn't be this wicked!" Xu Xiaoshou consoled himself.

But when he thought about it… wouldn't he be able to draw things like "Strength" and "Power," or "Sharp" and "Lethality" in the future…?

He forced these nightmarish thoughts out of his mind.

"It can't be like that!"

"Definitely not!"

In that case, there was only one possibility left…

Xu Xiaoshou looked at the introduction in the second section.

Extended Passive Skill:

Strengthen (Innate Lv. 1).

Sharpness (Acquired Lv. 1).

"Acquired Lv. 1. That level is too low!" Xu Xiaoshou decidedly told himself.

He'd felt the same thing in the past; when Strengthen first appeared, he'd nearly despised it because its level was too low. The technique only showed its terrifying power after it had been leveled up from the acquired state to the innate stage, enabling Xu Xiaoshou, who was only at spiritual cultivation level five, to achieve victory during the group-stage competition.

"Maybe the effects of Sharpness will show if I put more points into it."

Xu Xiaoshou looked at his Passive Points. 7660.

"Do I continue spinning the wheel?"

"Or should I level up Sharpness?"

"Oh, don't I still have one key left?"

Xu Xiaoshou suddenly remembered that he'd gotten an extra key during his ten consecutive spins, and immediately smiled. "Let's use that first!"

He inserted the key into the red wheel and fiercely turned it.

He saw the key turn into specks of light and disappear, but he didn't pay much attention to this, as he was too busy thinking about how to utilize Sharpness.

The key vanished completely, and Xu Xiaoshou wasn't able to see the notification panel update before his vision turned black and everything shook.

"What's going on?"

Xu Xiaoshou was startled. Black… Black screen?

Report chapter

---

Read I Am Loaded with Passive Skills Chapter 11 online for free - AllNovelFull

Chapter 11: Fleeting White Cloud

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

Legend had it that there was a sword technique that could move through the heavens—the Seven Swords of the Moving Heavens! When this sword technique suddenly appeared in this world, the most powerful Sword Deity, Old Man You Tu, killed the reigning master of the Holy Divine Palace with seven swords and then went into hiding and became a legend.

Those who came after observed the Seven Swords of the Moving Heavens and created the White Cloud Sword Technique.

Of course, the level of this technique was dozens of levels lower than the original.

It was merely an ordinary Acquired-stage spiritual technique!

The White Cloud Sword Technique was kept in the Tiansang Spirit Palace's Spiritual Library Division and had a total of thirteen strokes.

In the past, Xu Xiaoshou, who'd had average talent then, had put all of his efforts into learning the technique. It'd taken three years for him to finally grasp the first stroke—Fleeting White Clouds!

That was the first stroke of a spiritual technique that he'd ever learned. It was also the only stroke he'd ever learned…

Yes, more accurately, it was one of thirteen strokes!

When the darkness swallowed his mind in blackness, and the world started shaking, Xu Xiaoshou saw Hiding Pain coursing through the clouds, carrying him along.

He sliced down with the sword and parted the fleeting white clouds. The clouds then slowly gathered once again.

There was no beginning, nor an end. It was undying.

In that instant, he had countless epiphanies, and an endless number of sword strokes came to mind as he recalled every instance where he had bitterly practiced, holding his sword in the yard at night.

Stab, slice, prod, cleave…

Those were the fundamentals. Those strokes and movements had become his instincts through his blood and sweat. He felt those movements naturally come to him at this moment.

Xu Xiaoshou looked at the white clouds in front of him and kept his sword.

In that instant, the slow-moving glow of a sword suddenly appeared on the horizon. It swept horizontally across the surroundings. It looked slow and carefree, but it arrived in an instant.

The clouds were shredded. The sky crumbled to dust.

"Ah!"

Xu Xiaoshou was jolted awake. He was panting heavily. When he moved, his shirt disintegrated into shreds, just like the clouds in his dream, and fell into his lap.

He lowered his head. Hiding Pain was in his hands. It released a crisp hum, seemingly overjoyed.

So…

"Darn it, what's happening?"

Xu Xiaoshou was utterly confused. All he did was insert the Passive Key into the wheel. The key had disappeared and he'd entered the illusion with the carefree sword will and the clouds, which had even drawn out the most bitter memories that he'd hidden deep within his heart.

The White Cloud Sword Technique that he'd only mastered one stroke of out of the thirteen despite practicing it for three years…

That was an Acquired-stage sword technique!

How unimpressive must one's talent be to only achieve that after practicing for three years? How could he not be bitter?

Xu Xiaoshou calmed himself down. He buried the memories deep down and rushed to look at the notification panel. The Passive Key must've had something to do with this incident.

A new line had appeared in the notification panel.

"Obtained an Expertise Passive Skill: Sword Technique Expertise!"

Expertise Passive Skill?

Sword Technique Expertise?

Xu Xiaoshou was dumbfounded. This was the item that the extra key had given him?

"Did I really obtain this passive skill that could possibly be the best passive skill out there? And it's even a passive skill that appeared with its own special effect?"

"F*!"

Xu Xiaoshou could no longer stop himself from cursing. Had RNGesus really blessed him?

"Sword Technique Expertise…"

The skill's name made it sound powerful. Its name was a lot better than "Strengthen" or "Sharpness."

Given that the Passive System always used simplistic names, the appearance of a passive skill that had an unordinary name was indicative of how powerful Sword Technique Expertise was.

Furthermore…

Xu Xiaoshou trembled with excitement when he recalled that scene in the clouds.

Could it be that I've already mastered the strokes and knowledge of the technique in that illusion?

Since what he had were passive skills, the effects often appeared in quiet and unassuming ways. If he hadn't made the effort to observe the changes, he never would've noticed the transformation in his body.

The Hiding Pain in his hand was buzzing slightly.

It was excited!

Xu Xiaoshou could clearly and strongly sense that the non-living Hiding Pain was currently extremely excited. One could even describe it as exhilarated!

A thought flashed through Xu Xiaoshou's mind. "Should I test it out?"

Thus, he closed his eyes and recalled the sword technique that could shred the clouds to pieces with a mere stroke.

His breathing gradually became quiet. He felt himself become light as a feather and float into the air.

Ethereal, transparent, serene…

What a marvelous feeling.

The next moment, Xu Xiaoshou felt like he'd turned into a cloud. He was a fleeting white cloud in a vast painting.

While the summer wind blew and the clouds were shredded!

Xu Xiaoshou felt that he had to strike now.

Thus, he pulled out his sword and subconsciously sliced it through the air. He felt some resistance, but his sword followed the arc he wanted it to and struck down in an instant.

It was a carefree strike. The bleak evening wind blew all of the fallen leaves away.

Creak, creak, creak!

The scene from the illusion appeared once again. Countless bolts of light from the sword carefully approached yet instantly covered the space in the room.

Xu Xiaoshou had moved the sword extremely slowly, yet it seemed to vanish into the horizon in an instant.

Xu Xiaoshou opened his eyes.

Boom!

The house, which was made out of redwood, shattered into pieces and fell onto the ground.

Thud, thud, thud!

Xu Xiaoshou looked up to see a sky full of redwood fragments. They turned into sawdust and buried him underneath.

"F*!

"What's going on?"

In a narrow, cramped room. There was a round wooden table and three men inside.

Xiao Qixiu was sitting up straight. The sword that he carried around on his back was on his knees at this time. He shook his head and said seriously, "I don't drink alcohol!

"You guys know that a true swordsman would never get drunk on alcohol. They only get drunk on the way of the sword. Drinking alcohol would only mess up my mind and heart. And eventually my sword would no longer be accurate."

Qiu Qianzhi erupted into laughter, the liquor in his mouth spewing all over the face of the elder sitting in the seat opposite him. He instantly felt embarrassed. "Hmph, that was unintentional."

He turned to look at Xiao Qixiu as he clutched his belly, trying to hold in his laughter. "You talk as if your sword techniques have improved dramatically because you've never drunk alcohol."

Xiao Qixiu smiled slightly. "My techniques have definitely improved…"

He turned to look at the old man who was wiping his face. "Do you plan on staying for long now that you've come back, Elder Sang?"

There were still a few blades of grass on the old man's head. He glared at Qiao Qianzhi, then picked up his glass and downed the liquid within.

"I'll stay for a little longer for the time being!"

He looked at the empty glass and suddenly said, "You can both be drunk on alcohol and on the way of the sword!"

Xiao Qixiu wanted to say something in rebuttal, but the old man continued, "Unfortunately, you can't achieve that. Otherwise, the title of the Eighth Sword Deity would already belong to you…"

Qiao Qianzhi couldn't hold in his laughter anymore. He roared with laughter. "HAHAHAHA…"

Xiao Qixiu was speechless.

At this moment, the sword on his knees started to buzz and shake violently.

The three people looked at each other and all saw the look of shock in each other's eyes.

Xiao Qixiu grabbed his buzzing sword and put his ear to it to have a listen. He saw what was happening nearby in his mind.

At the outer yard of the Tiansang Spirit Palace.

The evening wind was blowing slowly. A disciple was taking a stroll with his sword in hand as he reflected on life.

Suddenly, the sword in his hand started to grow restless and attempted to free itself from his grip.

He was startled. He grabbed onto his sword in a hurry but realized that everyone around him who also trained in the way of the sword had met with the same predicament.

"Clang…"

The crisp hums of multiple swords sounded, harmoniously connecting as they rang throughout the outer yard.

"What's happening?"

All of the disciples were dumbfounded.

"A sword hum ringing throughout a one-mile area. An Acquired-stage Sword Will?" the old man said calmly.

"Yes!"

Xiao Qixiu nodded and immediately stood up. He exclaimed in shock:

"I didn't expect a disciple from the outer yard to master the Acquired-stage Sword Will. Coupled with the two disciples who reached the Innate Stage in their spiritual cultivation and the one who has an Innate-stage physical body, this batch of disciples is extraordinarily good."

"Innate-stage physical body?"

The old man was shocked. He even put down his cup of wine, as if thinking about something.

Suddenly, he changed the topic and said, "I remember the last time such a Sword Will appeared. It was that lass Su Qianqian, right!"

"Yes, the Innate-stage Sword Will," he added.

Xiao Qixiu looked a little impatient, but he still replied:

"You can't compare this to Su Qianqian. She's a bonafide genius, a person who wields one of the 21 famous swords of this continent. Even I'm envious of her."

"Stop putting on an act. Let's go have a look!" Off to the side, Elder Qiao had also stood up, "You clearly can no longer suppress your excitement, yet you still force yourself to stay here."

Xiao Qixiu awkwardly rubbed the back of his head.

The old man smiled and said, "Go!"

The two of them bolted out the door.

"Tsk tsk…"

The old man still looked calm and collected. It was as if an Acquired-state Sword Will wasn't enough to interest him.

He polished off the remaining wine in the flask, then stood up and put the straw hat behind him on his head. He then grabbed the crutch behind the door and slowly left the room.

Sometime later, he returned to the room. He then closed the door before leaving once again.

Report chapter

Chapter 12: Where Did The Swordsman Go?

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

Clank!

The wooden pieces above Xu Xiaoshou's head were sent flying.

Xu Xiaoshou was lying on the ground naked. He stood up from within his collapsed home, a confused look on his face.

"That is the first stroke of the White Cloud Sword Technique, the Fleeting White Cloud?"

"It must've been grossly modified!"

He'd managed to slice the entire building into pieces with one strike. "This is the White Cloud Sword Technique that I've practiced for three years but never dared use?" he thought.

Xu Xiaoshou didn't dare to believe it!

The execution, path, and movement of the Fleeting White Cloud were similar to before, but its essence had completely changed.

The Sword Technique Expertise was rather terrifying.

It had given him countless experiences with the way of the sword. Coupled with the fact that Xu Xiaoshou already had a foundation from his sword training, he could instantly convert that experience into practical use.

He grabbed a set of clothes from his ring and changed into them. He then walked out of the debris, not knowing what to say for the time being.

He'd only wanted to test out his sword technique. He didn't mean to destroy his house.

However, the house hadn't been destroyed in vain, as they'd personally gotten to witness the power of his sword technique.

He relaxed, and immediately started to feel weak. That stroke had depleted all of the spiritual power in his body.

Xu Xiaoshou took out a Spirit Crystal and took a slight whiff of it to recover. His body seemed to have developed resistance after it'd been brutalized by the Spiritual Cultivation Pill the last time.

It was only a tiny whiff. It wouldn't cause much of a problem.

As his body trembled slightly, Xu Xiaoshou noticed that his energy reserve had increased greatly.

"I achieved another breakthrough?"

Xu Xiaoshou investigated himself thoroughly and ascertained that he had indeed broken through to Level Six. And he hadn't just reached the beginning stages of Level Six. He had arrived at the peak of Level Six. He was just one step away from Level Seven.

"I unknowingly achieved a breakthrough?" he thought.

He remembered the illusion. His cultivation level must've risen while reaching an epiphany on the path of cultivation!

"The increase is rather large…" he thought.

It'd only taken him three days to reach Level Five. He had then effortfully stabilized his cultivation level after the insane battle during the group-stage competition, as he'd wanted to have a solid transition phase for the time being.

However, he had achieved a breakthrough once again!

Other cultivators would complain that their progress was too slow, while Xu Xiaoshou was worried that his cultivation level was increasing too fast and that he might not be able to consolidate and solidify his foundation.

However, he was clearly overthinking things. Achieving a breakthrough while going through an epiphany naturally meant that he'd become very compatible with the path of cultivation, so how could his foundation be unstable?

Advancing only one level during that phenomenon was a rather small increase.

A true genius would level up from the Acquired Stage to the Innate Stage when they reached an epiphany!

Two figures flew over from the horizon. Xu Xiaoshou looked over. This skill of "Walking on the Sky" was something only an Innate-stage expert could accomplish.

"Xiao Qixiu, Elder Qiao? What are they doing here?" he thought.

"The commotion from that strike wasn't that loud, was it?"

Xu Xiaoshou was confused. His yard had a soundproof array, and his strike was incredibly silent. The house might've made some sound when collapsing, but why would that alert these two elders?

"Xu Xiaoshou?" Elder Qiao said in shock when he landed on the ground.

"This is your yard?" Xiao Qixiu looked somewhat doubtful when he saw the young man. Wasn't this the narcissist from the group-stage competition who'd chosen to be a punching bag despite having an Innate-stage physical body?

"Good evening, Elders."

Xu Xiaoshou clasped his hands. He had to show Elder Qiao some respect when outsiders were around. "This is my yard."

Xiao Qixiu closely examined the Sword Will around them and ascertained that the one they'd felt had come from here.

Actually, he could've realized this just by looking at the house. It had been sliced to such a degree. How could the Sword Will not have come from here?

He pointed to the collapsed house and said, "What happened here?"

"Hm…"

Xu Xiaoshou hesitated. He did want to keep his technique a secret. However, the situation didn't allow for this. Thus, he said honestly, "I was practicing a sword technique just now and accidentally sliced the house into such a state."

"Got doubted. Passive Points 2."

Xu Xiaoshou was speechless.

"I knew it!" he thought.

"I knew that this would happen, even if I spoke the truth!

"You're looking down on me, Xu Xiaoshou, right? Can't you just say it straight to my face?!

Xiao Qixiu knitted his brows. He almost would've believed Xu Xiaoshou's nonsense if he hadn't witnessed the young man's Innate-stage physical body.

He knew just how hard an Innate-stage physical body was to achieve. He also knew how hard it was to achieve the Acquired-stage Sword Will.

How could these two things come together into the body of a mere Spiritual Cultivation Level Six fighter?

If he had that talent, he wouldn't have had to stay in the outer yard for three years. He would have reached the Innate Stage and gotten taken into the inner yard a long time ago.

Elder Qiao wasn't so reserved. He took a step forward and slapped Xu Xiaoshou on the head.

"Oh my, you're that powerful?

"You should think over your words ahead of time if you want to lie.

"I was wrong the last time when I didn't believe you when you said that you have an Innate-stage physical body. However, if you also claim that you're the one who achieved the Acquired-stage Sword Will…"

The corners of his lips curled upward. "Hehe!"

If this were a different situation, Xu Xiaoshou would've argued with Elder Qiao. However, he was now very shocked. Acquired-stage Sword Will?

That was what the Sword Technique Expertise gave him? Why hadn't he noticed that?

Hm…

Passive skill…

It would've been weird if he'd noticed that.

Xu Xiaoshou didn't expect his strike to carry an Acquired-stage Sword Will. It was no wonder that the house had collapsed and these two elders had come to investigate.

It was much harder to become a swordsman than a Spiritual Cultivator. The existence of the Acquired-stage Sword Will was a hurdle that countless geniuses couldn't pass over.

However, that clearly didn't apply to Xu Xiaoshou.

Xu Xiaoshou almost wanted to laugh when Elder Qiao doubted him.

Elder Qiao had done the same thing when he'd told him about his Innate-stage physical body back at the Spiritual Affairs Division. Hadn't he obediently come to admit his mistake after the group-stage competition ended?

"What right does this old fogey have to doubt me?" Xu Xiaoshou laughed to himself.

However, he obviously couldn't say this out loud. He pointed behind him and said seriously, "This is my house. Who else could've done this but me?"

"Sigh!"

Elder Qiao sighed and said in a heartfelt tone, "I know that you've become more brazen after coming out of seclusion. It's all right for the young to be wilful, but there has to be a limit to everything, right?"

Xu Xiaoshou pouted. "I'm not brazen," he thought. "I was forced to do this. I'm actually pure and kind."

Elder Qiao continued, "See, now someone that you've offended has come to seek revenge. Fortunately, he showed mercy. He only destroyed your house and didn't take your life, right?"

Xu Xiaoshou was utterly confused.

"What kind of imagination is this," he thought.

"Do you have a huge hole in your brain? Or could it be that your entire brain is full of holes?

"He even conjured up an enemy…

"I, Xu Xiaoshou, am a cautious and conscientious man. How could I have a mortal enemy?"

Elder Qiao saw Xu Xiaoshou's shocked expression, and a confident look appeared on his face that seemed to tell Xu Xiaoshou that everything was as he'd expected.

"Tell me, what swordsman did this…

"Hng, it's all right if you're too embarrassed to say. After all, your house has been destroyed."

"All right, you need not say his name. All you need to do is point in the direction he headed in, and Elder Xiao and I will go look for him!"

Xu Xiaoshou was shocked by how Elder Qiao had come up with his own narrative of events and didn't let him speak.

He looked at Xiao Qixiu. Elder Xiao was also a swordsman and should be more dependable. Thus, he shot Elder Xiao a questioning look.

Xiao Qixiu nodded slightly and looked like he agreed with the assessment.

"We'll seek vengeance for your destroyed house in the future.

"Tell us, where did that swordsman go?"

Xu Xiaoshou was shocked.

These two people would rather believe in the fake enemy that they'd created than believe that he, Xu Xiaoshou, had achieved the Acquired-stage Sword Will?

He gripped his Hiding Pain, then pointed it toward his back to signal that he was the one who had destroyed the house with his sword.

"Tell us!" the two elders encouraged.

Xu Xiaoshou gave up. He pointed in a random direction.

"Keep at it!" The look in Elder Qiao's eyes showed that he hadn't given up on Xu Xiaoshou.

"Work hard!" Xiao Qixiu was rather relieved.

"Got encouraged. Passive Points 2."

Xu Xiaoshou sat on the ground. He raised his head and looked at the sky. He looked like a deflated ball.

Why did no one believe him? He'd told the truth.

The fleeting clouds in the sky had nothing to say. Only the fallen leaves of the spirit trees in the yard that had been sliced by the energy of the sword echoed his sadness.

Xu Xiaoshou moved to the guest room. He would publish a mission at the Spiritual Affairs Division tomorrow and get someone to deal with the pile of rubble. It was something that could be solved with a few Spirit Crystals.

There was a day for recovery after the group-stage competition. He had to seize the time to get back into tip-top shape.

He returned to the red interface in his mind. He still had over 7000 Passive Points.

Xu Xiaoshou thought about it. He purchased Skill Points with all of his Passive Points and put it all into Sharpness.

Sword Technique Expertise had given him too much knowledge. He needed to digest it all and shouldn't rush into leveling the skill up.

If his guess was right, Expertise Passive Skills like those would give him a ton of knowledge with every level it increased.

He didn't plan to level the Sword Technique Expertise up before he fully grasped the Fleeting White Cloud.

As for leveling the Breathing Technique up?

One had to be joking. He still wanted to live a few more days!

The Breathing Technique had to remain at Level One before his cultivation level reached the Innate Stage. There was no other reason!

In the notification panel.

"Sharpness (Acquired Lv. 8)."

Xu Xiaoshou raised his right hand. His fingernails hadn't changed, but his fingers had become more slender. They looked surprisingly good.

He once again poked his fingers into the ground.

Creak!

There was no pain!

It felt like he was stabbing a piece of tofu with a sword. Even Xu Xiaoshou's wrist plunged directly into the stone floor. At this moment, his clenched, slender fingers were like blades.

"Wow!"

Indeed, as he'd expected, the skill's effects were drastically different now that it'd been leveled up.

It was like having two concealed weapons at any given time!

No, they were unconcealed weapons!

They were unconcealed weapons that an enemy couldn't guard against!

Xu Xiaoshou silently stood up. He looked at the small hole in the ground and lapsed into deep thought.

If he changed his fist into a spear when facing an enemy in the future…

Tsk tsk!

Chapter 13: Preliminaries

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

At the Chuyun Platform.

Two days ago, the platform had been crowded with people and there'd been next to no one in the spectator seats. Today was the complete opposite.

The eighteen arenas were still present on the platform. Every seat behind the arenas was occupied. The people in these seats were those who'd been eliminated during the group-stage competition.

Only 180 out of over 1700 people had been able to advance to the preliminaries.

An over 90% elimination rate was definitely high!

Xiao Qixiu was still the one standing in the air above the main arena with his sword behind his back. The chief judge made a downward motion with his hands, and the rowdy crowd immediately became quiet.

He calmly took out a piece of paper from within his robes and slowly recited:

"Congratulations to you 180 brave warriors for being able to emerge victorious during the group-stage competition and enter the preliminaries.

"The preliminaries this year will still be held in these 18 arenas. The champions of the respective groups will be the master of the arena. Lots will be drawn to determine the opponent they'll be paired with."

He took out a blue array token and injected his spiritual source. The array token trembled.

In an instant, a large screen appeared above each of the eighteen arenas. The pairing of the competitors would be done through these screens.

The crowd became rowdy once again. Xiao Qixiu signaled for them to remain quiet. He still had something to say.

"There are only 64 open slots during the preliminaries. Before the slots are filled up, anybody who can achieve three consecutive victories will advance through the preliminaries.

"Everyone will have two chances to challenge the person in the arena. That includes the master of the arena.

"Of course, you can start preparing for next year's competition if you face off against a seeded candidate both times. Alternatively, you can pack up your belongings and leave."

Xiao Qixiu chuckled. He folded the piece of paper and tucked it back into his robes.

"The competition starts now!"

The spectators became excited the moment the announcement was made.

Compared to the enormous amount of pressure they'd felt before, the spectators who had now dropped out of the competition were all incredibly excited. They cheered on the candidate they were rooting for.

"Do your best, First Senior!"

"Senior Chao, you have to eliminate First Senior and take first place this year!"

"Xu Xiaoshou, hang in there!"

"Ahhhh Zhou Zuo, fight for a name for us useless fighters! I love you!"

In the arena, Zhou Zuo was trembling. He could feel his legs shake even though he was just standing there. He'd finally realized that he had gotten through to the preliminaries by doing nothing. It wasn't a great feeling.

He looked around him. Everyone around him had cultivation levels of Level Eight, Level Nine, or even Level Ten. "What right do I, Zhou Zuo, a mere Level Three, have to stand amongst these bosses?" he thought.

"Senior Liu, I'm a little nervous."

He tugged on the corner of Liu Zhen's shirt. "I might be the first person in the Tiansang Spirit Palace to dare to stand here despite my low cultivation level," he said, his teeth chattering as he laughed at himself.

Liu Zhen took a deep breath. "Relax, you may be the first, but you're definitely not the only one."

Zhou Zuo looked up.

Liu Zhen revealed his cultivation level of Level Six and said slowly, "I feel the same."

Xu Xiaoshou was the calmest of the lowest-level cultivators in the competition. After all, he didn't depend on his cultivation level. He could be wilful!

The cheers from the spectator seats were too loud. He covered his ears, unable to stand the insane crowd. "Why are you telling me to hang in there and make a name for us? Are you sure that you're not here to curse me?"

He hastened his pace. Xu Xiaoshou wanted to enter arena number 18 and become the master of that arena as soon as possible. He suddenly glanced at the notification panel after passing through the barrier, which blocked out the cheers of the spectators.

"Got encouraged. Passive Points 43."

"Got encouraged. Passive Points 14."

"Got encouraged. Passive Points 8."

The notifications appeared one after another. Even though he didn't get many Passive Points with each update, the stream of Passive Points was pretty consistent.

Xu Xiaoshou had a wooden sword on his back. He involuntarily stopped in his tracks. He then turned back and waved both his arms.

"Thank you, all of you."

"Thank you for your encouragement."

"I'll definitely try my best and live up to your expectations. Please give me more encouragement and support!"

"I love all of you! Here's a heart!"

Honestly, he was just giving them a few cheers as a symbolic gesture so that the crowd wouldn't turn cold. The crowd suddenly panicked when they received such a sleazy reply.

"There must be something wrong with Xu Xiaoshou!"

"Everyone else has already entered the arena. Why is he still running about outside?"

"Look at his foolish expression. Is he really the master of the arena?"

"I was wondering the same thing. His cultivation level is only Level Six, two levels lower than mine. How could he be the master of the arena?"

Xu Xiaoshou checked his notification panel as he ran around the arena. The crowd was too passionate. His Passive Points immediately skyrocketed when he waved his hands.

"Got mocked. Passive Points 223."

"Got mocked. Passive Points 146."

"Got mocked. Passive Points 343."

Even though he was being mocked, the crowd did give him a bunch of Passive Points. Xu Xiaoshou felt even better now.

"Great. It's great that you're mocking me!" he thought.

"Mock me some more if you can. Let my points rise even higher!"

With just a little effort, his Passive Points once again reached the four digits. He only had to wave his hands. He didn't even have to get beaten up. He felt great!

The judge paced around in arena number 18.

"Why is that person not here yet?"

He remembered how Xu Xiaoshou had tightly squeezed his legs together the last time and wondered, "Does he still have something urgent to tend to this time?" He decided to head out of the arena to have a look.

He had returned home and summed up his experience after the state he'd been in last time. He felt that he'd been too easily angered by Xu Xiaoshou and had lost his calm.

As a judge, that was extremely irrational and inexcusable.

So he'd adjusted his frame of mind and returned to a state of zen by the time he'd come to judge these preliminaries.

However, that was all blown out of the water when he walked out of the arena to have a look at the situation.

What was that lad doing?

The competitors in the rest of the arenas had already started drawing lots, but this lad still hadn't entered the arena to face his competitor yet. He was the master of the arena, yet he was waving and running circles around the Chuyun Platform?

The judge was immensely shocked.

He'd been angered during the competition the last time. However, this time, he felt like his lungs were about to explode, and the competition hadn't even started yet!

"Xu, Xiao, Shou!"

Xu Xiaoshou abruptly turned his head back around. He looked at the furious judge trying his best to usher him over with a friendly expression.

"Hm? The competition's going to start this soon?" Xu Xiaoshou walked over and arrived before the judge. "Aren't the competitors supposed to have half an hour to regulate their breathing?"

"Huh, you sure know the rules quite well!" he thought.

The judge's expression darkened. "You're regulating your breathing?"

"That's right!" Xu Xiaoshou nodded. He said seriously, "I'm jogging around to warm myself up. Only by first moving my body will I have the strength to compete later."

The judge trembled. He let out a deep breath and said, "Come in!"

He didn't want to say a word more to this lad. He turned around and left.

Xu Xiaoshou felt that the judge was acting a little strange. However, all he could do was follow him into the arena. As expected, the notification panel fell silent the moment he entered the arena.

What a waste of so many Passive Points!

Xu Xiaoshou made an observation. Judging from the situation, he had to be close enough to feel the emotions, words, and actions of the other party for him to obtain any Passive Points.

He wouldn't gain anything if he was separated from the other party by a barrier like this, or if the other party was silently criticizing him from far away.

"Got cursed. Passive Points 1."

Xu Xiaoshou was confused.

"Could you be even more obvious? There are only the two of us in here, judge!" Xu Xiaoshou secretly thought to himself, when the screen above the barrier started to change.

His name was on the left side and remained unchanged. The right side of the screen was shimmering. Sometime later, what was happening on the right side of the screen came to a stop.

"Di Xin'er!"

A beautiful lady acknowledged her name and entered the arena. She had a blue spiritual sword behind her back and a cultivation level of Level Eight. She walked over with a bitter look in her eyes.

She didn't want to fight Xu Xiaoshou. That person mainly focused on physical fighting and was incredibly barbaric. If she could, she wanted to spar with another swordsman.

That way, she'd be able to gain some experience, even if she was defeated!

However, she didn't have a choice this time. All she could do was give a slight bow after she walked into the arena. "Hello, Senior Xu."

She had only been in the spirit palace for two years and was younger than Xu Xiaoshou. She naturally had to call him "Senior."

"Not good, not good!"

Xu Xiaoshou secretly thought that the situation wasn't good when he saw her walk over. Did this girl want to admit defeat?

"Even though you might injure me with the sword behind your back," he thought, "I don't mind battling you as long as I earn some Passive Points.

"But look at your expression. You're Level Eight. Your cultivation level is higher than mine. Can't you be a little more confident?"

Xu Xiaoshou was afraid that the lady would admit defeat the moment the judge announced the start of the battle. He immediately said:

"Giving up and running away before the battle's even started would be a great disrespect to your opponent and a humiliation to Spiritual Cultivators. If you raise your hands to surrender, it'll be a black stain on your life!"

Di Xin'er froze. This thought had crossed her mind.

However, she'd hesitated after thinking about how she only had two chances to fight.

When she heard what Xu Xiaoshou said, she accepted reality and decided to put up a good fight.

"Thank you, Senior Xu. I've learned!"

"Got appreciated. Passive Points 1."

Xu Xiaoshou snickered. His expression showed that he hadn't given up on the girl.

He'd gotten something good before the battle had even started. It was an auspicious sign.

The judge's view of him changed. He didn't expect Xu Xiaoshou, who frustrated him, to be capable of saying such a thing. It didn't fit his character.

He waved his hand. "Battle, start!"

Report chapter

Chapter 14: This Girl is Hopeless

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

Di Xin'er immediately thrust her sword forward after she finished talking.

"Wait!"

Xu Xiaoshou put an arm out to stop her from advancing. "As the saying goes, a gentleman fights with words, not with his hands. A gentleman fights with his hands, not with his sword!

"Why not do it this way? I won't use my sword, and you won't use yours. We'll both use our fists and brawl it out. How about that?" Xu Xiaoshou set the wooden sword on his back onto the ground as he spoke.

Brawl?

Di Xin'er frowned. She knew that Xu Xiaoshou didn't mean this and retorted, "I know that you have a ninth-grade spiritual sword by the name of Hiding Pain."

Xu Xiaoshou chuckled. He took out Hiding Pain from his ring and set it on the ground.

It wasn't that he was trying to cheat. Yesterday, after training hard and really practicing his sword technique in his yard, he'd realized that it would be better for him to use a wooden sword, which was why he'd been carrying the wooden sword all this time.

"I know that you have a powerful body, Senior Xu. However, I only know how to use sword techniques, so let's battle!" Di Xin'er wasted no words, and thrust her sword at Xu Xiaoshou.

Xu Xiaoshou nearly cursed. This lady had tricked him into laying his swords down, and now she was attacking him?

"Women definitely aren't to be trusted," he thought to himself. "What a liar!"

He hurriedly stood up to avoid the attack. For some reason, he felt that Di Xin'er's sword was incredibly slow and that she was leaving herself open to attack.

"Your sword skills aren't very refined," he thought. "To think that you have a cultivation level of Level Eight."

In the instant Xu Xiaoshou leaned his body to the side to avoid her attack, he wanted to chop down toward Di Xin'er's waist using his palm. However, he suddenly remembered the two holes he'd punched in the ground two days ago and immediately clenched his hand into a fist.

Di Xin'er quickly reacted. She pulled her sword back and sliced it through the air. Then, she twisted her sword and aimed the blade at Xu Xiaoshou's fist.

Her sword would definitely break in two if Xu Xiaoshou's fist connected with it.

"Ah!"

The next second, Di Xin'er felt like she'd tripped over something and immediately fell onto the ground.

Xu Xiaoshou silently pulled back his left foot, a doubtful look in his eyes.

"is this Di Xin'er really at Spiritual Cultivation Level Eight? Why is every one of her strokes predictable?" he thought.

This match would be decided if Xu Xiaoshou picked up his sword and sliced it toward her at this moment. However, how could he do that?

It was hard for him to get into a battle. He had to earn a few more Passive Points before it ended.

Di Xin'er seized the opportunity, no longer caring about her image. She rolled on the ground and got out of Xu Xiaoshou's attack radius. Then she stood up, sword in hand.

"That Xu Xiaoshou sure is powerful!" she thought. Xu Xiaoshou sticking out his foot seemed like a stroke of genius to Di Xin'er. "I was careless!"

Xu Xiaoshou spoke once again when he saw that Di Xin'er had adjusted her frame of mind. "Give it some consideration. Whatever I said just now is true. I wouldn't lie to you.

"Neither of us knows any fist techniques, so our brawl would be fair!"

The spectators had already broke into discussion when they saw how Xu Xiaoshou had used his foot, but when they heard his words, they loudly exclaimed their outrage.

"Despicable!"

"That Xu Xiaoshou is definitely despicable. It's fine that he used a surprise attack, but why does he insist on a brawl with Di Xin'er?"

"That's right. How could Senior Di deal with a body as powerful as his?"

"If it were me, I would never agree to his request!"

A few female disciples turned red when they heard these words. What kind of crowd was this? They were saying such vicious things.

Xu Xiaoshou clearly recognized this problem. He immediately added, "Let's do this, then. I have an advantage over you because I have a powerful body, so how about I fight you with just one hand…"

When he saw Di Xin'er thrust her sword at him once again, he shouted, "No hands! No hands!

"I'll fight you with my feet. Let's brawl!"

"Shut up!"

Even though she knew that Xu Xiaoshou was intentionally riling her up, she could no longer stand it anymore. A despicable, shameless person like him should be stabbed by a sword.

Xu Xiaoshou didn't know why this girl had suddenly become so angry. "You can be angry, but please be more refined with your sword technique. You need not hold back against me."

She left so many openings that Xu Xiaoshou didn't know which one to take advantage of.

Xu Xiaoshou dodged the attack again, but he didn't counterattack this time around. Instead, he said sincerely, "Give it some thought. Let's brawl!"

Di Xin'er swiped her sword through the air several times, her face turning red with anger. To think that she had cheered Xu Xiaoshou on in the past. She didn't expect him to be such a person.

"Be careful, Senior Xu!"

After stabbing thin air a dozen times, Di Xin'er finally realized that Xu Xiaoshou knew some sword techniques and battle movements, so she decided to use her spiritual technique!

A pulsing spiritual energy forced Xu Xiaoshou backward. Di Xin'er's sword suddenly slowed down after she collected herself.

Xu Xiaoshou's expression turned puzzled. The White Cloud Sword Technique?

This lady wanted to fight him using the White Cloud Sword Technique?

What kind of a joke was this?

Xu Xiaoshou somersaulted and grabbed Hiding Pain. "Hm, I shouldn't injure her…" he thought.

He picked up the wooden sword and reacted to Di Xin'er's Fleeting White Cloud by leaping into the air and maneuvering past the dozens of glowing blades.

The crowd was in an uproar.

"That Xu Xiaoshou sure is something. To think that he was able to avoid such an attack. I thought that he'd only be able to take the attack head-on!"

"I think that Xu Xiaoshou also knows the White Cloud Sword Technique. I heard that he practiced it for three years, so he might be really familiar with the tricks behind the technique."

"Three years? That lad only managed to master one stroke, the Fleeting White Cloud, in three years!"

"Why is he holding a wooden sword? Doesn't he have the ninth-grade spiritual sword?"

The spectators looked on in shock as Xu Xiaoshou maneuvered past the web of attacks without getting injured. He shifted from left to right as he faced Di Xin'er's sword before finally arriving in front of her.

Xu Xiaoshou hesitated for a moment, then chose to gently tap on Di Xin'er's head with his wooden sword, intending to signal that she'd lost.

That tap could've killed her if he'd decided to wield the spiritual sword instead of his wooden sword. However, the crowd obviously didn't share the same thinking.

"Beast!"

"Stop it, Xu Xiaoshou!"

"Ah, Di Xin'er is mine!"

"Darn you, Xu Xiaoshou. Take the battle seriously! Why are you using a wooden sword!"

Xu Xiaoshou raised his wooden sword and decided to give her another chance. Since he couldn't get her to engage in a brawl with him, he could infuriate her and get her to mock him in order to earn Passive Points.

"Your technique is decent!"

Xu Xiaoshou held his wooden sword the opposite way. "But you rushed to unleash your web of blades and cast it all in one layer. You lost any way of retaliating the moment your opponent avoided your first attack."

He looked down with a belittling gaze. "There's room for improvement for your Fleeting White Cloud. Keep at it!"

He criticized her area of expertise in the most brazen way possible.

A belittling gaze and an arrogant attitude like that made him a great villain!

Who could resist becoming eranged and fiercely scolding him!

Xu Xiaoshou felt that no would be able to tolerate what he'd just done. He was very satisfied with his tone.

He didn't expect Di Xin'er to forget about the sword on her head. She'd started mulling over his words.

"What Xu Xiaoshou said makes sense," she thought. "Could it be that his area of expertise doesn't lie in brawling but in sword techniques?

"I heard that he once practiced the White Cloud Sword Technique."

Xu Xiaoshou suddenly felt a little awkward. He didn't know what to do when he saw his opponent freeze. It didn't feel right to him to just withdraw his sword, but just leaving it there didn't feel right either.

"Miss, we're in the middle of a battle. Why are you mulling over your cultivation?" he thought.

Di Xin'er came to her senses. She raised her head and propped up the wooden sword that Xu Xiaoshou had hit her with. She immediately realized that something was wrong. Why had she slipped into her bad habit again?

This was a battle. She shouldn't be pondering her technique!

She blushed and put more distance between herself and Xu Xiaoshou. There was a strange look in her eyes. She seemed to want to say something but stopped herself.

"Got appreciated. Passive Points 1."

Xu Xiaoshou was speechless.

"Is this lady that innocent? Did she really think that I was giving her pointers?" Xu Xiaoshou thought.

"Again!" Di Xin'er ultimately couldn't find the words to express her gratitude. She twirled her sword around as she moved toward Xu Xiaoshou. It looked like she wanted to engulf Xu Xiaoshou within a vortex of sword energy. "The second stroke of the White Cloud Technique—Billowing Clouds!"

There was a glimmer in Xu Xiaoshou's eyes. This was a stroke that he hadn't been able to master even after practicing it for the past three years. To him, this seemed like an opportunity.

He prodded his sword toward the vortex Di Xin'er had experimentally created. He then emulated her sword technique and twirled the sword around, using a counteracting force to deflect all of his opponent's attacks.

Di Xin'er froze. She saw her sword get guided toward the side by Xu Xiaoshou while his sword remained on her shoulder. Xu Xiaoshou's sword stopped for a second before gently tapping her slightly pudgy face.

Tap!

The sound wasn't loud. However, everyone in the spectator seats all angrily stood up and voiced their fury.

"What a beast!"

"Xu Xiaoshou, you won't die a pretty death if you snatch my Senior Di away from me!"

"Move your sword away. Otherwise, I'll definitely pursue you to the edge of the world!"

Some white knights stood on Di Xin'er's side, but there were also young ladies who had been captivated by both of Xu Xiaoshou's attacks.

"Ahhh, my heart has melted. Xu Xiaoshou, please tap on me!"

"Xu Xiaoshou, fight properly. I forbid you to be this gentle!"

"Xu Xiaoshou, you must be insane. You're flirting with another woman in front of me?"

Xu Xiaoshou felt awkward. He also wanted to have an intense battle but the wooden sword's offensive capabilities didn't allow for that. This was the best he could do.

Other than tapping on her and hitting her, his wooden sword really couldn't inflict any damage.

And Di Xin'er wouldn't be able to last against Hiding Pain!

What if he released his Sword Will again and tore this beautiful lady to shreds?

Di Xin'er's face turned completely red. However, she didn't avert her gaze this time around. Instead, she passionately looked at Xu Xiaoshou.

Xu Xiaoshou froze. "What does she mean by that? Does she want an explanation from me?"

He gave it a try. "That technique should be used as a follow-up to the web of blades from your previous stroke. If you injure your enemy with your web of blades, you can suppress him with the momentum of your sword and achieve victory with a single attack.

"However, if your enemy manages to avoid your web of blades, you should pull your momentum back and entangle him. In that situation, you should use Billowing Clouds to trap your opponent, stop his attacks, and prepare for your next one."

For some reason, the other party suddenly looked like she'd an epiphany even though he was talking nonsense.

"Got appreciated. Passive Points 1."

Xu Xiaoshou was speechless. He deliberated whether or not to continue earning Passive Points off this lady. Truthfully, he didn't feel too good about doing that.

Di Xin'er once again put more distance between them and tenderly shouted, "The third stroke—Within the Cloud and Fog!"

Xu Xiaoshou hurriedly thrust his sword forward. This time he used a little force and hit Di Xin'er's wrist with his sword while she was attacking, and the sword in her hand fell onto the ground.

Di Xin'er looked at Xu Xiaoshou in shock. She had an aggrieved look in her eyes.

"Cough, cough."

Xu Xiaoshou let out a few dry coughs. He couldn't let this continue. This girl had a strange look in her eyes. Love sparks might fly if they continued this battle.

He pointed his wooden sword at Di Xin'er's throat. He decided to nip the problem in the bud before any feelings started to develop.

"You've lost!"

His tone was arrogant, as he hoped to get a negative reaction from Di Xin'er.

Di Xin'er didn't seem to have noticed anything. Her indignance turned into gratitude. She said with a wide smile on her face, "Thank you for your pointers, Senior Xu. There's a time limit for the preliminaries, so I'll only be able to learn from you again if I have the opportunity in the future!"

"Got appreciated. Passive Points 1."

Xu Xiaoshou didn't know what to say.

This girl was hopeless!

Chapter 15: The Fourth Person In The Barrier

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

"The battle has ended"

The judge waved his hand and announced Xu Xiaoshou's victory in the first battle. As soon as he said this, he saw the lad anxiously rush out of the arena even faster than Di Xin'er had.

The judge was confused. "Where are you going?" he asked.

"Huh?"

Startled, Xu Xiaoshou turned back around. "I'm going to rest. Isn't there half an hour for candidates to rest and recover?"

Even though this was his first time attending the preliminaries, he had watched the event the last two years and was very familiar with the rules of the competition.

The judge was speechless. Out of all the competitions he'd presided over, he'd never had to deal with a candidate like this.

All of the other candidates would either confidently sit in the arena to rest or wave their hands to signal for their next opponent, yet this candidate wanted to run out of the arena?

He'd just witnessed this lad engage in a relatively normal battle, which was a rare sight, but now that his battle was over, he was showing his true colors.

"Why do you have to go out? Can't you rest here?" the judge asked.

"It's stuffy in here! This lousy place is enveloped by a barrier. There's nothing in here but you and hot air. Of course I have to go out."

Xu Xiaoshou felt that what he said was natural enough. However, he couldn't ignore the judge now that he'd said something. "Let's go out together," he said.

The judge was speechless. "I didn't mean that, darn it!" he thought.

Xiao Qixiu, who was standing in the air, had a smile on his face. He had also noticed Xu Xiaoshou.

More accurately, he had paid special attention to this lad not only because of Xu Xiaoshou's Innate-stage physical body, but, more importantly, because he wanted to observe Xu Xiaoshou's sword technique.

Anyone else might've been drawn to Xu Xiaoshou's unconventional words and actions, but not Xiao Qixiu, who had been drawn to his sword techniques and found that they weren't as simple as they appeared as he observed the battle from outside the arena.

"He's also learned the White Cloud Sword Technique?"

"Does that mean he was telling the truth yesterday?"

He and Elder Qiao hadn't managed to find the swordsman after leaving Xu Xiaoshou's yard.

The swordsman had just achieved the Acquired-stage Sword Will, so he shouldn't have been able to perfectly hide his aura. However, they hadn't been able to find him!

Could it be that Xu Xiaoshou was really that swordsman?

Xiao Qixiu felt that his guess was too ridiculous. Any other person wouldn't be able to hide their aura, but he thought Xu Xiaoshou was really able to fool a serious swordsman like himself right in front of his face?

There was no way!

He turned his gaze to the other arenas. As he'd expected, the other two competitors sent their opponents flying out of the respective arenas at the same time.

Xiao Qixiu took out a piece of paper and marked on it as he said, "Mo Mo, Zhao Qingteng, three consecutive victories."

Xu Xiaoshou heard him say this the moment he left the barrier and was shocked.

So fast? Did they even fight?

However, this was understandable. Only they could win so fast.

They had ranked first and second last year and were both cultivators at the Innate Stage!

He soon stopped caring about the announcement and scanned the spectator seats in hopes of finding Su Qianqian and her friend who had witnessed his battle the other day.

But he didn't find them.

The crowd was too large. A lot of people were passionately waving at him.

"Keep it up, Xu Xiaoshou!"

"Here, Xu Xiaoshou! I'm here!"

"Wooden sword, that wooden sword. Please pat me with it!"

"Xu Xiaoshou, I love you! Ahh, he's looking over! Ahh, I'm dead!"

Xu Xiaoshou gave up on his search. It was no big deal. He happily waved his hands and expressed his thanks, and Passive Points appeared on the notification panel in his mind.

"Got encouraged. Passive Points 89."

"Got praised. Passive Points 94."

"Got a love confession. Passive Points 66."

Love confession?

Xu Xiaoshou was startled. What had the system mixed up this time?

He felt that this group of people had become even more insane than before the battle. He didn't know what happened, but he felt like he'd heard the word "wooden sword."

Xu Xiaoshou pulled out his wooden sword and pointed it at the spectators.

"You want this?"

His calm, challenging tone coupled with his otherworldly appearance and his body, which was no longer scrawny after being enhanced by Strengthen, made the female disciples in the spectator seats go wild.

"Got a love confession. Passive Points 99."

"Got a love confession. Passive Points 164."

"Got a love confession. Passive Points 323."

"Got cursed. Passive Points 2."

F*!

These people must be mad.

Xu Xiaoshou covered his ears and was nearly scared back into the barrier.

"Calm down. I can win out!" he thought.

"I have to resist this wave of Passive Points. I can do it!"

"Xu Xiaoshou, time is up!"

The judge's angelic voice finally saved him. Xu Xiaoshou quickly scurried back into the barrier, and his surroundings became peaceful again.

The screen shimmered, then stopped. The judge shouted the name of his next opponent.

"Liu Zhen!"

Liu Zhen, who was covering his ears on the Chuyun Platform, was dumbfounded. This…

Zhou Zuo walked over from the side. He had already admitted defeat two consecutive times, so he was elated when he saw this scene.

"Do your best, Senior Liu. Shed your heavy burden. You can teach him a lesson for Boss Wen while you're at it. That lad is finished. To think that he dared to tease Senior Di."

Liu Zhen silently walked into the arena.

"So it's you!" Xu Xiaoshou chuckled.

"Enemies often encounter each other. That's great. You're a pugilist, right?

"I love fighting pugilists…" he said as he looked at Liu Zhen's silent expression. His heart suddenly thumped. Did this person also want to admit defeat?

"Giving up before the battle is a great disrespect to your opponent. Running away without battling…"

Liu Zhen's expression darkened, and he interrupted Xu Xiaoshou. "I don't intend to admit defeat."

"That's good, that's good!

"You're a real man! Great!"

Liu Zhen was speechless.

He kept having the feeling that Xu Xiaoshou was putting on an act all to hide his true strength. Reality proved that he'd fooled everyone.

Xu Xiaoshou was no longer Level Five when he'd come out of his seclusion. The boastful words he'd threatened people with were true.

How else could he have risen to the peak of Level Six in such a short time?

Others might not be able to notice his Innate-stage physical body, but Liu Zhen could! He couldn't hide it from him!

Also, his sword technique just now…

Also…

Xu Xiaoshou looked at the notification panel, terrified.

"Got doubted. Passive Points 1."

"Got doubted. Passive Points 1."

"Got doubted. Passive Points 1."

The constant updates in the notification panel instantly confused him.

"What's going on?" he thought.

The judge?

Liu Zhen?

That's impossible…

Could there be a fourth person in this barrier?

Xu Xiaoshou's pupils dilated. "This is broad daylight! Don't scare me!" he thought.

"Judge, I suspect that something evil has infiltrated the barrier! Hurry and search for it!" Xu Xiaoshou cried loudly.

The judge slapped a hand to his forehead. "It's over," he thought. "This person is acting up again. He only stopped for a little while."

Xu Xiaoshou almost cried and laughed at the same time. The notification panel hadn't stopped updating, but he couldn't reveal the fact that he had something like the notification panel to the judge.

"It's true. You have to believe me!"

"There's definitely a fourth person in here… No, it might not be a person!" Xu Xiaoshou pounced forward.

The judge's expression darkened. "Get into position, candidate. Don't come and hug my leg. Please head back and rest!"

"Please! Head! Back!"

Liu Zhen sighed deeply.

"He's still putting on an act!"

"Do you really think I'm an ordinary man who can't see through you?"

He shook his hands, his gaze landing on the black bag of sand on his forearm. "This guy is something else. It looks like I'll have to reveal some of my true powers!"

Boom, boom!

He released all of the black bags of sand on his arms, legs, and abdomen, and they fell down on the ground, causing it to cave in slightly.

Liu Zhen's cultivation level aura constantly climbed: Level Seven, Level Eight, Level Nine…

Level Ten!

The peak of Spiritual Cultivation!

The judge and Xu Xiaoshou looked over at the same time, both dumbfounded. Had this person just been pretending to be weak?

Liu Zhen smiled coldly when he saw the shock in Xu Xiaoshou's eyes.

"Xu Xiaoshou, stop pretending. I'll use my full powers to defeat you!"

"Your methods are useless against me!"

"What's going on?" Xu Xiaoshou thought, confused. "What's he talking about?"

Report chapter

Chapter 16: Great Darkness Calamity Fist

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

The judge couldn't do anything about the strange candidate at his feet. All he could do was wave his hand and say, "Battle, start!"

Liu Zhen raised his fists and charged toward the judge, much to the shock of Xu Xiaoshou.

Xu Xiaoshou immediately let go of the judge's leg. He'd be breaking the rules if he was still messing with the judge after the battle started.

He collected himself. He had to be more cautious when facing a Level Ten fighter.

Liu Zhen wasn't as weak as the other candidates in the group-stage competition. Level Ten was already half a step into the Innate Stage, so he couldn't afford to take this battle lightly.

However, even though Xu Xiaoshou hurriedly retaliated against the black-colored fists that rained a flurry of punches down on him, he wasn't able to defend himself against a single punch and was reduced to being a human sandbag once again.

Boom, boom…

The familiar sounds rang out again. The people in the spectator seats couldn't sit still.

"He's appeared! Sandbag Xu!"

"He must be sick in the head. He insists on having a brawl every time, but when it's time to fight, he takes his opponent's punches to the face."

"It doesn't look like that Xu Xiaoshou really knows any fist techniques. Liu Zhen is more powerful than him!"

Xu Xiaoshou secretly thought that things weren't looking good. Liu Zhen had dropped all of his pretenses at this time. As he repeatedly got punched, he felt that his body wouldn't be able to hold out much longer.

"What kind of fist technique is this?" he thought.

"It's capable of causing an Innate-stage physical body this much pain?"

Xu Xiaoshou could only guard his vital areas as he was blasted back by Liu Zhen one step at a time.

"Got attacked. Passive Points 2."

"Got attacked. Passive Points 2."

"Got attacked. Passive Points 2."

"What's going on?" he thought.

"I'm only getting two Passive Points for every punch I take? That doesn't make sense!"

Xu Xiaoshou became more startled the more he was hit. The notification panel never made mistakes. Not only was Liu Zhen's fist technique never-ending, but his every punch inflicted double the damage.

He closely examined his body, and sure enough, he found that each of Liu Zhen's punches had secretly left a trace of black energy in his body.

What a sneaky fist technique!

He didn't know what the energy could do. However, it must have some hidden effect if Liu Zhen was secretly leaving it in his body.

Xu Xiaoshou became anxious when he saw that he was about to be blasted out of the arena.

He'd been careless this time!

He should have immediately pulled out his sword. Then he might've had a fighting chance. Now that he was being bombarded with punches, he couldn't even take out his sword from within his ring.

"Liu Zhen, give me a chance!" Xu Xiaoshou said sincerely.

However, Liu Zhen didn't say anything, instead punching Xu Xiaoshou more fiercely. He knew that Xu Xiaoshou had many sneaky techniques up his sleeves, as he'd watched Xu Xiaoshou become the champion of the group-stage competition, so how could he give Xu Xiaoshou a chance?

"Don't force me!" Xu Xiaoshou said fiercely.

There were just a few steps left before he'd be forced off the arena!

Liu Zhen disregarded his words. His punches ripped through the air, causing the air to crackle.

Xu Xiaoshou couldn't take it any longer. He effortfully extended his hand amidst the flurry of punches, then gathered his spiritual power and stabbed his hand forward.

"Sharpness!" he thought.

"I'll stab you to death!

"Even though I can't hit you while you're hitting me, you'll definitely bleed if you keep punching me."

"Ah!"

Sure enough, Liu Zhen let out a startled shock the next second and put some distance between them.

It was inevitable that at least one punch out of the flurry Liu Zhen rained down on Xu Xiaoshou would land on Xu Xiaoshou's dagger-like fingers. Liu Zhen wasn't on the defensive and was caught off guard. His fist felt like it were about to explode it was so painful.

Fortunately, he had trained his body in the past. Even though his body wasn't at the Innate Stage, it was still much stronger than that of an average person. If it wasn't, his fingers would've been torn off from Xu Xiaoshou's attack.

"How could this happen?"

Liu Zhen's eyes were filled with shock. He knew that Xu Xiaoshou didn't know any fist techniques, so how had he taken out a dagger and injured him under his flurry of punches?

The next second, he saw that Xu Xiaoshou's twisted right finger was covered in blood.

His Great Darkness Calamity Fist inflicted double damage with dark energy. There was no way that Xu Xiaoshou was bleeding from one of his attacks, which meant that the blood on Xu Xiaoshou's finger was his.

"So that lad countered my Great Darkness Calamity Fist with his finger?" he thought to himself.

"How is that possible?"

"What technique was that?" Liu Zhen asked. His desire to know what had countered his attack won out over his will to revenge.

Xu Xiaoshou had been blasted to the edge of the arena by Liu Zhen's punches and had almost broken his finger. Fortunately, he'd managed to avoid the crisis.

He forcefully twisted his finger back to its original position and hissed, "Sharpness."

"Got doubted. Passive Points 1."

Xu Xiaoshou was speechless.

"Why did you ask if you weren't going to believe me anyway?"

"You might as well not have asked at all!"

Many of the people in the spectator seats stood up. All of them were in disbelief…

"How did he get out of that tricky situation? I don't get it. Why did Liu Zhen suddenly stop?"

"Look at Xu Xiaoshou's hand. It's bleeding. Is that Liu Zhen's blood?"

"Are you joking? Can't you see Liu Zhen's spiritual technique? That's the Innate-stage Great Darkness Calamity Fist! How could it have been countered by Xu Xiaoshou's finger?"

"What? An Innate-stage spiritual technique?"

Someone had managed to identify Liu Zhen's spiritual technique. Everyone was immediately stunned.

An Innate-stage spiritual technique was something that an individual had to be lucky enough to come across. How could an outer yard disciple have had the opportunity to obtain an Innate-stage spiritual technique?

Even if he had obtained it, how had Liu Zhen managed to master it?

Xu Xiaoshou had deduced that Liu Zhen's fist technique was a high-level technique. It couldn't have inflicted that much damage on him otherwise.

Liu Zhen's series of punches had hurt him several times more than all of the attacks he'd gotten hit with during the group-stage competition.

That wasn't even counting the black-colored energy in his body.

Xu Xiaoshou was a little flustered. He couldn't expel the energy from his body. He guessed that the energy would trip him up at the critical moment. Fortunately for him, he had his notification panel. Otherwise, he wouldn't have known how he'd gotten defeated.

He quickly changed his style when he saw Liu Zhen charge over again. He moved as he took out his wooden sword and said, "A gentleman fights with words, not his fists. Let's not use our fists anymore. Why don't we spar with wooden swords?

"We'll just lightly spar. Don't be rash."

His body wouldn't be able to take it if he had to earn Passive Points from being beaten by Liu Zhen's fists. Xu Xiaoshou decided to admit that he was weaker.

The judge was shocked. What happened to what you said last time during the previous battle? Did you eat your words?

The spectators roared with laughter. All of them slapped their thighs.

"I can't take it anymore. That Xu Xiaoshou is too funny!"

"Did he forget that he said that a gentleman uses his fists rather than swords during his last battle? So why did he admit that he's weaker now when they really got into it with their fists?"

"Hahaha, Xu Xiaoshou is so naive! I can't take it anymore!"

With a thud, a rush of spiritual power erupted from the ground and blasted Liu Zhen forward. A flurry of fists immediately rained down upon Xu Xiaoshou.

"F, you're still coming!"

Xu Xiaoshou immediately tucked away his wooden sword and whipped out Hiding Pain. He could no longer hide it. He would definitely be blasted off the arena if Liu Zhen used his technique on him again!

"Fortunately, I have a trump card."

"Fleeting White Cloud!"

He sliced his sword horizontally through the air, and all of the dust in the surroundings was sent flying into the air from the powerful momentum. Even the people in the spectator seats couldn't help but kneel. They looked on without blinking.

"Dark Calamity, activate!"

Liu Zhen knew without thinking that Xu Xiaoshou was going to use his ace in the hole, so he made a forceful hand gesture while in the air and ignited the thousands of strokes of dark energy he had left within Xu Xiaoshou's body with his punches just now.

Boom!

Xu Xiaoshou spat out a mouthful of blood. His eyeballs nearly fell out of their sockets, and all the veins all over his body popped out. One could only imagine how much pain Xu Xiaoshou was in.

He knew that his opponent also had a trump card. However, he didn't expect that trump card to be this powerful!

Xu Xiaoshou clenched his teeth hard. He was pouting like a toad and was just short of vomiting blood.

Everyone in the spectator seats were shocked. They didn't expect events to take such a drastic turn for the worse. This battle was incredibly brutal. This was too cruel!

"Xu Xiaoshou… Hang in there!"

All of them cheered for Xu Xiaoshou from the bottom of their hearts. After all, even though Xu Xiaoshou was unconventional and made people hate him, he was the one being beaten to a pulp in this battle.

A Level Six being beaten up by a Level Ten would draw pity from anyone!

The judge arched his feet and immediately charged over. He couldn't allow Xu Xiaoshou to be hit by Liu Zhen's next punch. He would die.

He knew just how powerful the Great Darkness Calamity Fist was. The dark energy inflicted by the technique became more terrifying as more and more punches rained down on the opponent. Xu Xiaoshou had taken the brunt of a few thousand punches. The dark energy in his body was enough to cause an Innate-stage expert to explode!

Fortunately, Xu Xiaoshou had an Innate-stage physical body. The judge rejoiced.

Just as he was about to get close to Xu Xiaoshou, who was forcefully trying to hold back from vomiting blood, Xu Xiaoshou suddenly secretly give him a hand signal.

He doesn't need me?

The judge's heart thumped wildly. Logic told him that he should stop the battle. However, for some reason, he chose to believe in Xu Xiaoshou at this moment, and stopped in his tracks.

Everyone had their hearts in their mouths. Liu Zhen's fist shot upward, straight toward Xu Xiaoshou's chin.

"Puu!"

At the critical moment, Xu Xiaoshou spat out a large mouthful of blood he'd saved in his mouth and instantly covered Liu Zhen's face with it, blurring his vision.

But what could that accomplish?

Everyone in the spectator seats could see the situation clearly. Xu Xiaoshou could no longer avoid the attack. The dark energy had robbed him of the ability to move.

"Get out!" Liu Zhen roared furiously.

With a thud, his punch landed on Xu Xiaoshou's forehead and sent him flying.

The next second, he felt himself being taken up into the air. What was going on?

He rubbed off the blood that was obstructing his vision and realized that Xu Xiaoshou had grabbed onto him with his legs and was bringing him up into the air along with him.

There was blood on Xu Xiaoshou's forehead. However, his legs were wrapped tightly around Liu Zhen's waist like a pincer. They were flying out of the arena together!

The sight of the two candidates entangled in the air was rather strange. It felt like time had stopped.

He was taking Liu Zhen down with him?

Everyone in the spectator seats was shocked. However, they saw Xu Xiaoshou how had actively stepped forward toward Liu Zhen while his forehead was being punched and then took advantage of Liu Zhen being blinded to grab onto him with his legs.

He'd first used his blood to blur Liu Zhen's vision and had then grabbed onto Liu Zhen by wrapping his legs around his waist. Was this a tactic that he had come up with on the fly while he was being punched?

Unbelievable!

"Release me!"

The two of them fell straight down. Liu Zhen wanted to punch him again. If he didn't take action now, he would fall from three meters up in the air. His head was facing the ground. He would definitely be knocked out if he fell!

He didn't have Xu Xiaoshou's body.

Xu Xiaoshou chuckled. He maneuvered around Liu Zhen's body and spun their bodies around, not allowing Liu Zhen to punch him.

During their high-speed revolution, Xu Xiaoshou propped his head against Liu Zhen's feet and grabbed his ankles. He then released his legs from around Liu Zhen's waist and made use of the momentum to gain higher ground and threw him fiercely onto the ground.

Boom!

Dust flew everywhere. Liu Zhen was the first to hit the ground. He was devastated by the impact.

Boom!

Dust was sent flying everywhere again, and Xu Xiaoshou fell elegantly on top of Liu Zhen, who was lying on the ground.

He spat out a mouthful of blood, then waved to the shocked and speechless spectators as he whispered:

"Liu Zhen, you sure are impressive!

"Liu Zhen, what fist technique was that?"

"Liu Zhen, you've taught me never to be careless. I'll always remember that!"

All of Xu Xiaoshou's sarcastic remarks finally made Liu Zhen come back to his senses. He gave up on his "silence is golden" principle and said, unhappy that he'd been beaten:

"Get off of me, darn it!"

Report chapter

Chapter 17: Constitution

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

Clap, clap, clap!

Thunderous applause came from the spectator seats. Without a doubt, this battle had been extremely exciting and full of twists and turns!

They'd thought that Xu Xiaoshou wouldn't be able to last against the continuous barrage of punches from Liu Zhen's Great Darkness Calamity Fist. They didn't expect him to counter that technique with just one finger and turn the tide of the battle.

They'd thought that Xu Xiaoshou wouldn't be able to turn the situation around after being severely injured by Great Darkness Calamity Fist. However, he'd unexpectedly taken advantage of his injury to seize the initiative and blur Liu Zhen's vision with his blood.

More importantly, the two of them had circled in the air at high speeds. Not only had Xui Xiaoshou's spin made Liu Zhen doubt for his life, but the technique he used in the end had allowed him to maneuver around Liu Zhen and slam him into the ground, showing the full extent of his powerful brawling skills.

Xu Xiaoshou, who had initiated this insane battle, had stated that he would've been done in if he didn't have Strengthen.

The dark energy of the Great Darkness Calamity Fist was terrifying. Even though he had managed to turn defeat into victory, he had now lost all ability to battle.

The judge ran over. "Do you need to rest?"

"Yes." Xu Xiaoshou nodded.

The judge took a deep breath, then pointed at Liu Zhen, who was being crushed under Xu Xiaoshou's weight. "He needs to rest too."

Liu Zhen had already fainted. He didn't know if Liu Zhen had fainted because of his fall or because of his anger.

Xu Xiaoshou awkwardly stood up, finally releasing the candidate Liu Zhen. Attendants immediately rushed forward to carry Liu Zhen away.

"Aren't you going to go into the barrier to recover?" the judge asked.

Xu Xiaoshou stole a glance at the applauding crowd. "What a joke," he thought. "How could I possibly go into the barrier?"

He shook his head and turned his attention inward.

"Got encouraged. Passive Points 242."

"Got praised. Passive Points 366."

His notification panel constantly updated. Within half an hour, his Passive Points had surpassed what he'd earned during his past two battles.

Xu Xiaoshou couldn't help but glance at the lower section of the interface.

"Passive Points: 7225."

Tsk tsk!

Not counting the few points that Di Xin'er had given him, just Liu Zhen alone had given him more than 2000 Passive Points.

He had earned the rest of the points from the insane crowd during the time between his battles.

This number was still constantly rising.

Xu Xiaoshou no longer paid attention to his Passive Points. Instead, he started examining his body.

He had been severely injured from the explosion of dark energy. It could be said that he did what he did after the explosion using sheer willpower alone.

The tension left his body, and with it the ability to move. It felt painful to even lift his fingers.

However, there was still another round left in the preliminaries!

Xu Xiaoshou clenched his teeth and sat down on the Chuyun Platform with his back facing the crowd.

He took out a pill bottle. Inside was the tenth-grade recovery spiritual pill that Elder Qiao had given him after the group-stage battle—the Red Gold Pill.

"I'll go all out!" he thought.

Xu Xiaoshou seemed as though he were prepared to die. He picked up a Red Gold Pill but didn't dare to take a big whiff of it. Instead, he took a gentle whiff.

In that instant, he felt as though he'd been struck by lightning. His eyes rolled back into his head and he started to tremble violently.

"Uhhhh…"

Everyone in the spectator seats was watching Xu Xiaoshou. At that moment, they saw Xu Xiaoshou suddenly tremble, his back facing them. All of them craned their necks, incredibly curious.

"Wha's he doing?"

"He's taking pills? What kind of pill is that? Why are its effects so strong?"

"That must be a poisonous pill. It's so terrifying!"

Everyone saw Xu Xiaoshou, who was seated, suddenly fall backward. His body formed a star-like shape on the Chuyun Platform. He looked like a twitching pile of mud.

"What did he eat? Why is he shivering like that?"

"That guy must be the trembling type…"

Everyone instantly became confused. Xu Xiaoshou harvested another large wave of doubt while he was unconscious.

Even the judge was scared silly. "What is this?" he thought. "We just sent Liu Zhen away, and now you've collapsed too?

"How old are you? Why do you have to make a judge like me worry so much for you!"

He quickly ran over with the medical team. They felt for Xu Xiaoshou's pulse while applying pressure on his philtrum.

"Uhhh… I'm, I'm fine…" Xu Xiaoshou foamed at the mouth.

"Do you look like you're fine?" the judge nearly cursed.

"You have to tell me if you can't hold on, and I'll take you to heal your wounds!" The judge tried to press on Xu Xiaoshou's chest to stop him from trembling.

Xu Xiaoshou's eyes rolled back as he struggled to sit up. However, he had no strength left in his body. He howled weakly.

"Don't, don't touch me!"

"Currently, I have a… sensitive constitution. Uhhh…"

The judge was speechless.

He silently withdrew his hands from Xu Xiaoshou. "Perhaps he doesn't need me…" he thought.

The spectators were all wondering what was going on. Because Xu Xiaoshou was lying down on the ground, they could see his face, and a few of the spectators who could read lips interpreted the conversation.

The spectators were in an uproar.

"He must have taken an aphrodisiac!"

"Taking those things before a competition… I have to hand it to him!"

"Someone drag him off somewhere and cool him off!"

"I strongly request for a drug test. That Xu Xiaoshou must have consumed a banned drug!"

All of these interpretations of the situation gave Xu Xiaoshou countless Passive Points. There was doubt, respect, mockery…

The medical personnel who'd taken Xu XiaoShou's pulse released his hand from around his wrist and said in shock, "He seems to be fine?"

"What?" The judge was confused.

"I don't know what medication he took, but its effects are really powerful. His body is recovering at a rapid rate. He's almost fully healed."

"Hehe!"

"He's almost fully healed?"

The judge pointed at Xu Xiaoshou's convulsing body. "Then what's that?"

The medical personnel stammered and said, not too sure himself, "Pleasure?"

The judge's expression darkened. "Pleasure, my foot!" he thought.

"You're useless!"

He thought for a moment, then pried open Xu Xiaoshou's hand and saw the Red Gold Pill.

"Just this?"

He raised an eyebrow, then took the pill and popped it into his mouth. The medical personnel almost jumped when he saw him do this. "You can't eat that!"

"It's fine. It isn't poisonous. If it was, Xu Xiaoshou wouldn't have dared to consume one, and he wouldn't be experiencing the effect you described. By taking it, I'll immediately be able to detect if he consumed banned drugs before the competition or not."

The judge sat down cross-legged. He circulated the spiritual source in his body, and the pill immediately dissolved into his system.

He opened his eyes. "What's going on?" he thought.

"Is this really a Red Gold Pill?"

He looked at Xu Xiaoshou, who couldn't stop trembling, and lapsed into deep thought. "Did we eat the same thing?" he thought.

"Or could it be that he really does have a sensitive constitution?"

The judge trembled when he thought about that. The medical personnel was startled.

On the ground off to the side, Xu Xiaoshou continued trembling for a while before gradually regaining composure. Because of his experience with the Spiritual Cultivation Pill the previous time, he was actually much better off this time around.

Furthermore, the Red Gold Pill was ultimately a medicine used to treat injuries. The high only came in one wave. It came on fast, but it quickly went away.

He had to admit that while the side effects of the Breathing Technique were great, the effects of the technique were even greater!

"I seem to have mostly recovered. I still feel a little pain…" Xu Xiaoshou thought to himself.

The explosion of the dark energy left by the Great Darkness Calamity Fist was no laughing matter. His scalp still crawled when he thought about it. He didn't how he'd been so brave enough to hang on during that battle.

"Yes, there was nothing I could do besides try my best to hang on during that battle I think…" he thought.

Xu Xiaoshou flailed his arms and legs, forcefully trying to reenergize himself. He still had one more battle. He couldn't cool down.

The judge watched Xu Xiaoshou jump about and occasionally twitch. There was a doubtful look on his face.

"So that's the end of the matter?" he thought to himself.

Xu Xiaoshou leapt about and looked back, then waved his hands and thanked the spectators that loved him. He expressed his gratitude for their concern before returning to the notification panel in his mind.

"Passive Points: 10220."

Tsk tsk, it increased by over 3000 points!

"This is true love!" Xu Xiaoshou exclaimed as he walked into the barrier once again with trembling legs.

He had reached his quota for today. He might've even exceeded it.

The judge followed behind him like his personal bodyguard. "Are you ready for your next battle?" he asked nonchalantly.

"There's no rush. Let me rest for a while more. Give me some time, all right!"

Xu Xiaoshou took out a Spirit Crystal and whiffed it from time to time, trying his best to stay at peak condition.

Even though he had just gone through a rough battle and recovered from a severe injury, he could still use 60 to 70 percent of his powers, which was decent.

"All right!" the judge chuckled. "Then let's start. There's no time left anyway."

Xu Xiaoshou looked at the judge in shock. "You're a dog! Why did you even ask me if I wanted to start if we're out of time? Do you have to toy with people like that?"

The judge happily infused an array token with his spiritual source and activated the screen, a victorious smirk on his face at having achieved a small victory against Xu Xiaoshou.

The screen shimmered, and a name was selected.

"Wen Chong!"

Xu Xiaoshou looked at the judge, dumbfounded. "Wen Chong?" he thought. "You must be messing with me!"

The judge put his hands up as if to say that he had nothing to do with the matter, an innocent look on his face.

At the same time, the spectators immediately got into an uproar. The atmosphere had immediately become fired up by that name.

"My God, Wen Chong?!"

"This must've been rigged. That Xu Xiaoshou is so pitiful. Someone must've pulled this on him!"

"That's right. He's just gone through a battle of life and death, but in the end, he won't even have the chance to rest before he has to face a boss who's supposed to be the champion of an arena."

"Champion of an arena?" Some people were excited, while others didn't understand why everyone had suddenly gotten into an uproar. "Tell me quickly. What's going on?"

"Do you know arena number two? Boss Wen was unlucky and was grouped with Zhao Qingteng during the group-stage competition. He got dominated. Zhao Qingteng became champion while he got second place."

"Tsk, so what? Xu Xiaoshou is also a champion!"

"Zhao Qingteng is ranked second, an Innate-stage expert!"

"Boss Wen is ranked second and is half a step into the Innate Stage!"

"Sss! He's that strong?"

"Hehe, do you think that's all there is to it? No, no, no… That guy is the mortal enemy of Xu Xiaoshou!"

The person speaking was beating around the bush and whetting the appetite of the people around him.

"Stop beating around the bush. Tell us quickly!" the people off to the side said, impatient.

"Do you know Liu Zhen? The Level Ten who nearly made Xu Xiaoshou explode?!"

"Yes, yes!" Everyone nodded.

"He's Wen Chong's lackey!"

"Ssss!" The crowd gasped.

"That's not all!" The speaker had a proud expression as he continued, "You know Di Xin'er, right? The girl who got hit on the head twice by Xu Xiaoshou with his wooden sword!"

"Yes, yes!"

He revealed the shocking news. "Wen Chong's goddess!"

"Oh s*!"

"Intense!"

"Then Xu Xiaoshou is done for, darn it!"

Report chapter

Chapter 18: Surprise Attack

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

Thud! Thud!

There was the sound of heavy footsteps as a young man approached the arena.

He had a slender, well-proportioned body, and had thick brows and thin lips. He looked cunning and sinister.

He was the person ranked seventh on the Windcloud Scoreboard. The people of the outer yard called him Boss Wen. It was Wen Chong!

Xu Xiaoshou felt a powerful aura press against his fist. He knew that Wen Chong had a technique that required charging up. He might not be able to last one move against him if he allowed him to charge up his technique.

He took a whiff of the Spirit Crystal in his hand and chuckled slightly. "Hello, Junior!"

Wen Chong staggered he was so furious, and the pressure from his aura dissipated without Xu Xiaoshou having to do anything.

Even though his aura was powerful and extraordinary, he was still a junior who had entered the outer yard one year later than Xu Xiaoshou.

The crowd had been worried about how Xu Xiaoshou would be able to hold his own against Wen Chong's powerful aura. They didn't expect the lad to have an arsenal of devious techniques, each of them marvelously effective.

"I'm going to die laughing. I have to hand it to Xu Xiaoshou!"

"My God, he dares to speak like this in front of Boss Wen. My legs would've given out from under me if I were in that situation."

"Haha, how do you think he's managed to survive until now? Xu Xiaoshou is also rather powerful."

In the arena, Wen Chong stared at Xu Xiaoshou with hawk-like eyes. "Xu Xiaoshou, you're quite impressive. You dared to touch my person. You must be mentally prepared to die."

Xu Xiaoshou knew who he was talking about. It was Liu Zhen. Everyone knew that!

He was secretly lamenting the situation. Why was he so unlucky? He just defeated the lackey, and now the boss had come without giving him time to recover first!

He couldn't help himself from turning around and shooting daggers at the judge.

Angry, the judge waved his hand and said furiously, "Battle, start!"

Xu Xiaoshou immediately put distance between them. Wen Chong's most powerful technique wasn't his aura. Instead, it was a spiritual technique by the name of "Shadow-Splitting Spiritual Technique."

The technique could conjure up to seven clones at once. This coupled with Wen Chong's dagger techniques meant that Xu Xiaoshou wouldn't be able to escape if he was caught in one of his attacks.

Even though the Shadow-Splitting Spiritual Technique was an Acquired-stage technique, its practicality could rival Innate-stage techniques.

A cold smile appeared on Wen Chong's face when he saw Xu Xiaoshou retreat. That was exactly what he wanted him to do.

The longer he charged up the Shadow-Splitting Spiritual Technique, the more clones he could conjure at one time. Since Xu Xiaoshou wanted to put more distance between them, he could use this opportunity to stall for time.

Wen Chong laughed coldly after he made a forceful hand gesture. Xu Xiaoshou would definitely die when he summoned his seven clones!

The candidates in the arena had still been rather noisy before the battle started. However, now they were deathly silent. It was a different story for the spectators in the spectator seats. They'd never stopped being noisy.

"Has Xu Xiaoshou gone insane? Doesn't he know that Boss Wen's Shadow-Splitting Spiritual Technique can also be charged? Is he putting distance between them to stall his death?"

"I heard that he only knows the White Cloud Sword Technique. Maybe he really doesn't know about Boss Wen's technique?"

"It's over, it's over. That lad will be torn into shreds after Boss Wen and his seven clones charge forward at the same time."

"That's right. He's not the only one with a ninth-grade spiritual weapon. Other people have one too! Like Boss Wen's pair of purple daggers. Tsk, tsk. Those are terrifying!"

"Look, Xu Xiaoshou's still holding the wooden sword. F, he, he closed his eyes?"

Liu Zhen had woken up after being cared for by the medical personnel. The moment he arrived at his spectator seats, he saw that the battle between the two candidates was about to break out.

His pupils dilated, not because of Wen Chong's Shadow-Splitting Spiritual Technique, but because he saw the familiar sight of Xu Xiaoshou closing his eyes.

"That is… the sword technique that he didn't manage to use at the final moments of the last battle?" he thought to himself.

"Both parties are going to reveal their trump cards at the start of the battle? Do they really need to be this restless?"

Xu Xiaoshou intended to do just that. His body was no longer capable of engaging in a drawn-out battle. Since both the Shadow-Splitting Spiritual Technique and the Fleeting White Cloud needed to be charged, then he was going to decide the battle with one attack!

However, to not injure his opponent, Xu Xiaoshou was using the wooden sword!

He was a caring candidate, always thinking about his opponent.

He had tested the wooden sword out yesterday. It had decent offensive capabilities. At the least, it could slice through the bark of a tree.

In reality, the strength of Fleeting White Cloud didn't lie within the weapon but in the Sword Will!

On the other side, many illusory figures appeared around Wen Chong. No one dared to breathe. They knew that the battle would be decided in an instant.

The judge crouched down. Truth be told, people in this line of work feared these kinds of head-on battles the most.

But he wouldn't be able to determine a winner if he didn't allow the candidates to duke it out. However, someone might die if he allowed them to cross swords.

"Whoosh!"

The judge looked at Xu Xiaoshou and became immensely flustered when he saw his wooden sword, closed eyes, and his gradually fading aura.

"Try a little harder!" he thought.

"Don't you have a ninth-grade spiritual sword? Take it out and use it!"

"I'll be able to save you if you last against Wen Chong's first charged attack!"

"Buzz!"

The crisp hum of a sword rang. Everyone grew tense as they looked at Xu Xiaoshou's sword.

Hm, a wooden sword?

Were they hearing things?

Could it be Wen Chong's dagger that was trembling?

Everyone looked back in unison and saw the glimmer in Wen Chong's eyes as he charged forward, his body turning into a blur as he shifted and changed position, weaving between his clones to slice his dagger at Xu Xiaoshou.

He closed the distance…

Half the arena!

One meter!

Xu Xiaoshou… still had his eyes closed!

Everyone was cursing internally. He was about to die, yet he still hadn't opened his eyes. His eyes might stay shut forever if he didn't do something!

The judge instantly darted forward. Xu Xiaoshou must've gone mad. He was heavily injured and must have given up on the competition!

However, just as the two candidates were within inches of each other, Xu Xiaoshou suddenly opened his eyes. No one knew when he had moved the sword in his right hand!

This attack was extremely slow, like a fleeting white cloud, and instantly calmed down the restless spectators.

"Buzz!"

Another hum of a sword was heard. This time, everyone saw what happened. It was Xu Xiaoshou's wooden sword that was dancing with joy, not Wen Chong's dagger.

"A wooden sword?"

"What's happening?"

Everyone in the spectator seats was waiting for a reaction. However, they didn't expect themselves to be hit by the attack.

"Clang…"

This sound caused everyone's sword to tremble, as if the swords had been drawn by the Sword Will and connected as one.

This scene was incredibly familiar. All of the swordsman at the scene involuntarily thought back to the unknown hum of a sword that had spread throughout the outer yard two days ago.

Could that have been caused by Xu Xiaoshou?

"This… How is this possible?"

"Am I seeing things?"

In the air, Xiao Qixiu's eyes widened, and he grabbed onto his sword in shock.

Acquired-stage Sword Will?!

Was that really from Xu Xiaoshou?!

In the arena, after the buzzing sounded, Wen Chong immediately changed his plan of attack. He retreated while he was right under Xu Xiaoshou's nose, then immediately got his seven clones to guard his front.

Clang, clang, clang…

The sword glow collided with the purple daggers, and the sound of metal against metal endlessly rang out.

Wen Chong was immensely shocked. That lad's strike had created several hundred sword glows. It was a net of blades that looked extremely slow, but it blocked his opponent's path of attack and forced him to retreat time after time.

"How could it be?"

"Didn't that lad train his body? How could he have such a terrifying sword technique?"

Creak, creak, creak!

Wen Chong's clones got diced one after the other, and thin sword marks had appeared on Wen Chong's body. Fresh blood oozed out of his wounds!

Outside the arena, Liu Zhen was shocked. This sword technique…

He remembered that Xu Xiaoshou had been holding Hiding Pain during their battle. If he hadn't activated the dark energy explosion to interrupt Xu Xiaoshou's attack, he would've turned into mincemeat.

Sure enough, this lad was hiding his true strength, just like he'd expected!

In the arena, Wen Chong was forced back to his original position by the sword glows, and was close to being pushed out of the arena.

He put away his dagger and brought his arms in front of his chest. A barrier of spiritual energy shot out from within his body and instantly repelled all of the sword glows.

"Spirit Surge Barrier!"

The spiritual energy scattered, and Wen Chong's pupils dilated.

Xu Xiaoshou's fringe was swept upward with his forward momentum, and his wooden sword landed on Wen Chong's throat.

"You lose."

Gulp!

Wen Chong involuntarily swallowed. As his Adam's Apple bobbed, a bit of blood oozed from the wound left behind by the sword energy of the wooden sword.

His face was covered in blood, but they were all superficial wounds. He was still in peak condition. But he had lost.

One sword. One sentence.

The person ranked seventh on the Windcloud Scoreboard had been defeated!

The wind swept past the arena. It was silent in the spectator seats. The judge turned his head around in a daze.

Xu Xiaoshou withdrew his sword and turned around. He had to head back and recover. That sword technique had exhausted all of his spiritual power.

His legs were trembling…

"Tolerate it," he told himself. "You cannot fall. So many people are watching. You have to finish the act!"

Wen Chong's eyes were filled with indignance. Aside from the time they'd spent charging up their attacks, the battle only lasted a few seconds, yet he was defeated?

The person ranked seventh on the Windcloud Scoreboard, Boss Wen of the outer yard, had been defeated!

He didn't look back. Even though he was in the barrier, he still felt like he could hear the crowd's unfeeling laughter.

Even Liu Zhen was able to beat up Xu Xiaoshou in his battle, yet Boss Wen had been defeated in one move!

This Xu Xiaoshou had dared to tease Di Xin'er with a wooden sword, yet Boss Wen hadn't been able to do anything about it when he entered the field.

A fierce expression passed over Wen Chong's face!

The purple dagger that he'd tucked within his sleeves radiated a mysterious aura, and Wen Chong's turned into a blur once again as he charged toward Xu Xiaoshou!

"Careful!"

"Stop it, Wen Chong!"

"The battle has ended! It's ended!" the judge roared as he pounced forward. He didn't expect such an outcome to occur just because he'd been late in announcing the end of the match.

Anyone could see that Xu Xiaoshou had won. To think that Wen Chong would take action and launch a surprise attack!

He wouldn't be able to stop Wen Chong's attack in time!

"Got ambushed. Passive Points 1."

Xu Xiaoshou was greedy for Passive Points and was thus always paying some attention to the notification panel. When he saw this notification, he abruptly turned around to retaliate.

Creak!

Wen Chong's ninth-grade spiritual dagger fiercely pierced Xu Xiaoshou's shoulder, and blood sprayed everywhere.

Creak!

Xu Xiaoshou's right hand pierced through Wen Chong's chest straight to his heart!

Report chapter

Chapter 19: Murderous Intentions at Goose Lake

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

Xu Xiaoshou froze in shock!

The judge also froze in shock!

All of the rowdy, shouting spectators also froze in shock!

Even Xiao Qixiu, who was standing in the air, was a little stunned. He had shifted his attention to the other arenas when the battle ended, not expecting to see such a serious turn of events when he turned around again.

He remembered the words that he'd said before the competition started: "there are times when even the judges aren't paying attention." Had his words come true?

Everyone in the arena froze!

The corner of Wen Chong's lips twitched. He seemed to want to say something, but fresh blood flowed out of his mouth, and his eyes bulged. He froze and couldn't say anything for the longest time.

The ferocity in his eyes had disappeared, completely replaced with disbelief.

He lowered his head and looked at Xu Xiaoshou's arm, which had plunged straight through his chest to his heart. He was only able to see the elbow, which was dyed a stark red by his blood, as the rest was inside his chest.

"His hand?" he thought.

"Pierced through my chest?

"How is that possible…"

The veins in the corner of Wen Chong's eyes popped out from the intense pain.

He looked at Xu Xiaoshou with a quizzical look in his eyes, as if he wanted an answer.

Xu Xiaoshou could feel a squeezing sensation around his forearm. Thump thump, thump thump…

"Save him!" he roared. He didn't know whether to pull his hand out or not at the moment.

Why had it come to this?

Xu Xiaoshou was flustered. He'd never killed anyone before. But he also hadn't expected Wen Chong to charge forward and launch a surprise attack.

He had instinctually turned around because he trusted the hint given to him by the Passive System. He didn't expect Wen Chong to run into the tip of his spear because he wanted to kill him.

"Why must you do this!" Xu Xiaoshou roared with fury. He took out a Red Gold Pill and stuffed it into Wen Chong's mouth. Wen Chong seemed to be shaking his head, but it was so slight that it was almost indiscernible.

His lips were slightly parted. He never once closed them.

"Eat it!"

Xu Xiaoshou closed Wen Chong's mouth with his left hand, trying to get Wen Chong to eat it and absorb the medicine so its effects would kick in. In the end, the pill fell out of Wen Chong's mouth and onto the ground the moment he took his hand away.

Thud, thud…

He saw the red and gold-colored pill roll silently away and noticed that something had been lost along with the pill.

The judge walked over and pulled Xu Xiaoshou's hand out of Wen Chong's chest. "It's useless," he said calmly. "He's dead!"

Xu Xiaoshou trembled. Dead?

Was even a Spiritual Cultivator's life this fragile? They'd die from just one stab?

The judge couldn't help but sigh when he saw the state Xu Xiaoshou was in, and he patted his shoulder, seemingly trying to console him.

"This is your first time killing someone?"

"Get used to it!"

He pulled out the dagger Wen Chong had left in Xu Xiaoshou's shoulder and handed him a pill bottle as compensation for the Red Gold Pill he'd eaten of his earlier.

"Don't worry. This isn't your fault. He was wrong for initiating a surprise attack. If someone's to blame, it's me for being negligent.

"You'll be all right. Go back and rest. Leave the rest to me."

Xu Xiaoshou was in a daze. He looked at Wen Chong, who was now in the judge's arms, and silently walked out of the arena, clutching his shoulders.

The spectators saw the melancholic, lost expression on his face, and didn't dare to cause a loud commotion at the moment.

"He's really dead?"

"I think this is the first death in the outer yard in a decade."

"That's right. The judges and candidates all knew when to stop during previous competitions. I really didn't expect that this time… Boss Wen was too impulsive!"

"Xu Xiaoshou… My God, I really feel bad for him…"

Some people supported Xu Xiaoshou, but they made up the minority. Most of the other spectators were opposed to what he'd done.

"I can't take it anymore. That Xu Xiaoshou still has such an indignant look after killing someone."

"Boss Wen died such an indignant death! The judge didn't call the match, so Boss Wen attacked within the parameters of the rules. How could Xu Xiaoshou dare to deal such a lethal blow?"

"I strongly suggest disqualifying Xu Xiaoshou from the competition. Disgusting!"

"That's right. For him to deal such a lethal blow during a battle between members of the same faction. He's a beast!"

Off to the side, the people who supported Xu Xiaoshou immediately became infuriated and stood up. "Nonsense!" they retorted.

"Anyone with eyes could see that Wen Chong lost. How would Wen Chong have been able to deal with Xu Xiaoshou if Xu Xiaoshou had been using his spiritual sword? Xu Xiaoshou had already held back!"

"Wen Chong's sneak attack failed and he got stabbed by Xu Xiaoshou instead. Xu Xiaoshou even tried to give him medicine. Did you guys not see Xu Xiaoshou's rare show of character?"

The people supporting Wen Chong laughed coldly and said, "The judge didn't announce the end of the match, so Wen Chong's attack was within the parameters of the rules. On the other hand, what Xu Xiaoshou did was completely unconscionable!"

"Unconscionable my foot, you bootlicker. Come over here!"

"Why? Bite me if you dare!"

"Argh!"

"Oh f, loosen your jaw… Loosen your jaw, darn it!"

Goose Lake.

The clear waters reflected the sky, and plump geese played on the clouds reflected in the water.

This was a place with splendid scenery in the outer yard of the Tiansang Spirit Palace. The area was surrounded by hanging willows, and the lake was encircled by white railings that made a heart shape. The water of the lake was wonderfully clear and speckled with spiritual energy.

The creatures swimming around in the lake were spiritual geese that Elder Qiao reared. Their meat was plump and delicious. Xu Xiaoshou had been lucky enough to try them a few times.

On an average day, many people came to Goose Lake to train. However, because of the recent Windcloud Competition, there weren't many people there, and the area was exceptionally serene.

Xu Xiaoshou stood by the railings, his eyes full of despair.

Instead of returning to his yard, he'd gone to the place where he usually practiced his sword techniques.

This was the first time he couldn't feel excited after winning a battle. He didn't even bother to look at his Passive Points.

He had walked out of the arena and left the Chuyun Platform in a daze, wandering around before arriving at this place.

The sun was setting. Xu Xiaoshou had been here for a long time.

He tossed a stone into Goose Lake, and the surface of the lake rippled before becoming calm again.

"Perhaps this world is also the same. Life is like a stone. No matter how large it is, it doesn't create much of a ripple after it sinks into Goose Lake!"

Xu Xiaoshou exhaled and touched his right forearm, as if he could once again feel Wen Chong's final heartbeats.

Regret?

No!

Xu Xiaoshou didn't feel a tinge of regret even though he'd accidentally killed Wen Chong. Perhaps a better way to put it was that he'd been prepared for it.

Killing another person would become his new normal now that he'd arrived in this world.

Perhaps in the Tiansang Spirit Palace this wasn't so obvious, but Xu Xiaoshou wasn't that naive. This was merely the beginning.

The reason he was overcome with emotion and felt down was because of his compassion and thoughts about how fragile life was.

Perhaps life wasn't worth mentioning to the people on this continent. Perhaps he would hold the same view after today.

However, the current Xu Xiaoshou couldn't calm himself down for the longest time.

He'd been endlessly tortured in a white patient ward in his previous life. He still harbored the hope to live. It could be said that Xu Xiaoshou saw human life as much more precious than an average person in this world.

But now, he had personally destroyed one of those precious lives.

It was true that he had mentally prepared himself. But who wouldn't have been shaken at that turn in events?

That precious life was Boss Wen. However, in Xu Xiaoshou's eyes, he was just a brother who had some talent and was a little arrogant.

Even though Wen Chong had launched a surprise attack, it was possible that he'd had no intention of killing him.

"In the end, didn't he only pierce his dagger into my shoulder?"

"Perhaps…"

"I shouldn't have killed him?"

Xu Xiaoshou shook his head and tossed this ridiculous thought out of his mind.

Since Wen Chon had dared to take action, he should have been prepared to face the consequences, even if those consequences were unbearable!

These words were intended for the dead Wen Chong, but they were also a word of caution for his future self.

Far away, the setting sun was devoured by the mountains on the horizon, and the sky turned dark. Everything became silent again.

There was a sudden ripple of spiritual energy at Goose Lake. It shocked all of the plump geese and caused the hanging willows to sway slightly.

Xu Xiaoshou breathed heavily. He had unknowingly broken through to Spiritual Cultivation Level Seven.

"Hah!"

He suddenly grabbed a rock and, with murderous intentions, tossed the rock at the flock of plump geese as if he were venting his frustrations.

A wave of water flew in all directions when the rock hit the lake, but it didn't hit any of the geese.

Xu Xiaoshou sighed a sad sigh.

Ultimately, he'd still killed someone!

Report chapter

Chapter 20: Eating A Seed

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

Xu Xiaoshou stood next to Goose Lake the entire night.

The lake was always surrounded by insects during summer. Right now, a few of the insects that didn't know their place wanted to use their meager powers to give Xu Xiaoshou some Passive Points.

However, their weak stingers could no longer pierce through Xu Xiaoshou's body like before, as he'd since passed into the Innate-stage.

It was very cold at dawn. Xu Xiaoshou pulled his robes closer around himself. He had mostly calmed down and was going to leave the place.

He turned around and saw a withered face staring at him.

Xu Xiaoshou was startled.

This old man looked fine in every regard except the two scary dark circles under his eyes.

"You're from the outer yard?

The lips of the old man twitched into a smile as he said, "Young lad, aren't you going to watch the Windcloud Competition?"

Xu Xiaoshou staggered backward a few steps, putting some distance between them. He felt that the old man's voice was rather familiar.

"You are…"

Xu Xiaoshou tried to identify the old man. Wasn't he the old man he'd come across during his arduous journey on his wobbly legs to the group-stage competition?

Was fate pushing them together?

The old man chuckled. He placed the straw hat in his hands onto his head, and Xu Xiaoshou instantly recognized him.

"Elder, you are…"

Xu Xiaoshou was doubtful. He could attribute one encounter to chance, but two encounters were too much of a coincidence.

Had this old man intentionally come looking for him?

The old man wearing the straw hat placed his hands behind his back and said, "You're missing out. I heard that there are many talents in the recent Windcloud Competition.

"There was a young lad yesterday. I think his name was Xiaoshou?"

"He even killed someone. Tsk tsk. These young people sure are brazen!"

Xu Xiaoshou's expression darkened. "Why did you have to go and mention that?" he thought. "The killer is standing right in front of you!"

However, the old man didn't seem to recognize him. "That's all right though," he continued. "I'm not here to find him. I'm here to find you!"

"I am…" Xu Xiaoshou started to say, but the old man reached a hand out to stop him.

"I know you!

"Old Xiao and Old Qiao told me that another swordsman who mastered the Acquired-stage Sword Will appeared in the outer yard two days ago.

"But I like you the most!"

Xu Xiaoshou couldn't take it anymore. "You're talking a bunch of nonsense!" he thought. "You mentioned four people, two of whom are me!"

"I am…"

"Hey!" The old man glared at him, signaling for a young man like him to not be that impatient and allow him to finish saying his piece.

"Hey hey, you have an Innate-stage physical body. I'm not wrong, am I!"

"I've been searching for you for a few days now. I looked all around the outer yard but didn't expect you to be admiring the geese here. You sure live up to the admiration I hold for you…"

"You know how to have fun!"

Xu Xiaoshou secretly rolled his eyes. "How is that fun? I was thinking about life, not admiring the geese.

"What's there to admire about these plump geese? They make for better eating."

"I came here last night and watched you!"

The old man's words shocked Xu Xiaoshou. "Last night?" he thought. "I didn't notice you!"

He secretly observed the old man and realized that he couldn't see his aura. It was as though a normal old man was standing in front of him.

But how was that possible?

An ordinary old man in the Tiansang Spirit Palace?

This person was definitely a boss!

He secretly pondered the situation. He didn't know why such an important person would come looking for him. Was it because of his Innate-stage physical body?

Fun, body, secretly observing…

Xu Xiaoshou shivered. Why did he feel that something was wrong?

The old man didn't notice Xu Xiaoshou acting strangely and continued talking with his hands behind his back. "I observed you for an entire night. Good lad, you have great resolve!"

"You didn't move an inch even after being bitten by insects and hearing the sinister, eerie howls in the area. You didn't even look back."

"I have to admit that you're a lot like me when I was young!"

Xu Xiaoshou staggered backward. He remembered that he'd frequently felt a chill on his neck during the night, as if someone were breathing behind him….

A person really had been breathing behind him?

He suddenly felt scared. He'd felt tired after thinking about life and coming to a critical realization, and he'd dozed off while he was standing. How did he not notice this old man?

Now that he thought about it, his notification panel also hadn't indicated that there was anything like a surprise attack or a threat. It had failed in its job!

"This can't do. I honestly have to go back to my yard to sleep in the future.

"I shouldn't stand around outside in the future. Otherwise, I might die without even knowing how!"

The old man couldn't help but nod with satisfaction. He observed Xu Xiaoshou from head to toe, then suddenly asked, "I've talked for so long. Do you have anything you want to say?"

Xu Xiaoshou was confused.

He said with a steely-green expression, "Weren't you the one who stopped me from speaking?"

"Did I?"

"Didn't you?"

"Think about it again. Did I?"

Xu Xiaoshou wanted to retort but suddenly thought back to their interaction. The old man only stopped him with his gaze and his hand. He hadn't said anything.

He said in frustration, "I've disappointed you, elder!"

"The brazen young murderer that you talked about is me. The one who mastered the Sword Will is also me. The person with the Innate-stage physical body… Yes, that's also me!"

"Also, my name is Xu Xiaoshou!"

He paused for a moment, then continued, "I have to attend the Windcloud Competition now, not as a spectator. Goodbye!"

Even though he didn't know why the old man had come, it was best not to offend him. It was best for him to run.

"Wait!"

The old man grabbed him. He had immense power, and his grip made Xu Xiaoshou's wrist hurt.

"Elder, let me go! I wouldn't taste good! I didn't even take a shower last night!"

The old man's eyes twitched. "Why are you talking about eating? Aren't pills delicious enough to eat? Why would I eat you?"

"Good grief!"

He once again looked Xu Xiaoshou up and down. "Are you really a genius?"

Xu Xiaoshou glanced at the notification panel and saw that he hadn't been doubted. He said with a nasal tone, "You've already believed me, so why are you asking me that question?"

"Good lad!"

The old man cracked a smile. "You have such a confident tone. You're like me. I bet I wouldn't be wrong if I picked you to win the Windcloud Competition!"

He took out a red seed-like item from his pocket and handed it over to Xu Xiaoshou, "Eat it!"

Xu Xiaoshou almost peed his pants. What was that!

"This messed-up old man must be sick in the head," he thought. "He caused such a fuss when he suddenly appeared and now he wants me to eat a seed?"

"I swear, I, Xu Xiaoshou, will never loiter out here in the future!"

Must I have a wretched life! Must I lose my innocence because of a dead Wen Chong?

"Eat it!" the old man said authoritatively when he saw Xu Xiaoshou's pleading gaze. "It'll be fine. It might be a little painful, but with your Innate-stage physical body, it'll be over after you bear with it for a while."

"I'm begging you to stop talking!" he thought, and almost kneeled. "It was fine when you didn't say anything about it, but now that you've said this, even the flame of hope in my heart has gone cold!"

He was forced to take the red-colored seed that was about the size of a fingernail, and found that it was unexpectedly hot in his hand.

Xu Xiaoshou was shocked. He had an Innate-stage physical body. Wouldn't the seed have dissolved and fallen through an ordinary person's hand?

He glanced at the old man in the straw hat again and noticed that he was looking at him rather expectantly. "Eat it! It's delicious!"

He was definitely an important person, so there was no need for him to use poison or aphrodisiacs to toy around with him…

Hm?

Xu Xiaoshou felt bitter. Even though he was handsome, he wasn't so handsome that someone would fall head over heels for him and do anything within their means to get him.

"I'll go all out!" he thought.

"Gulp!"

Xu Xiaoshou felt as though he were consuming poison. He swallowed the seed with a look of despair, then looked to the old man. "What's next?"

"Next?" he asked.

"There is no next!"

The old man let out a wretched laugh, then vanished without a trace.

F*!

Xu Xiaoshou was about to explode with anger. "What is this?"

"You give me an unknown item, ask me to eat it, and then leave after I eat it…

"You left!

"You really left!"

Xu Xiaoshou was manic. He swore that he would immediately use his Fleeting White Cloud if he ever saw the old man again. He would teach him what the words "there's no next" really meant!

The next second, Xu Xiaoshou felt his entire face turn red, and his entire body became hot.

Even his face was trembling.

"I'm finished!

"My body, my body feels strange…

"What kind of strange sensation is this!?"

Xu Xiaoshou was shocked. "Did that old man leave to call someone over!?"

"Help!"

"I'm not worth it! Help!"

Report chapter

---

Read I Am Loaded with Passive Skills Chapter 21 online for free - AllNovelFull

Chapter 21: Save Me, Judge!

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

There was no rest time between the preliminary round and the competition between the top 64 contestants.

However, news that Xu Xiaoshou had killed someone had already spread throughout the entire Outer Yard during the night.

Most of the people only paid attention to the bosses who were ranked in the top ten of the Windcloud Scoreboard. However, Wu Peng, like a dark horse, had forced people to take notice of him.

The advancement competition started at noon the next day.

Unlike the preliminary competition, from this point on the Chuyun Platform would no longer be split into 18 different arenas, and one arena master would engage in consecutive duels.

This was what everyone was looking forward to.

Many people had been frustrated that they'd missed the historic moment of a person being killed in the Outer Yard because they'd been looking at another battle.

There was a crowd of people in the spectator seats, and it was incredibly loud.

"It's here, it's here. We've waited so long to reach this moment."

"Sigh, who here hasn't waited? To think that I missed the first death in the Outer Yard because of the two Innate-stage fighters, Senior Mo and Senior Chao!"

"Haha, then you really missed out. What's so great about seeing the two of them before the advancement competition? Didn't they finish off all their opponents in one move?"

"Let me tell you. Yesterday, Xu Xiaoshou held back his finishing blow while Boss Wen launched a sneak attack at him from behind. In the end, he got stabbed in the chest… The twists and turns in their fight were so exciting!"

"Everyone in the spectator seats was shocked. It was so silent that you could hear a fart."

"Urgh, stop telling me about it. Can't you see the regretful tears running down my face?"

Besides for the spectators who'd come here just to observe the competition, there were spectators present who supported Xu Xiaoshou, as well as those who didn't like him.

However, everyone had had a night to cool down and now showed much more restraint. At the very most, they would glare at each other and feel unhappy whenever Xu Xiaoshou was mentioned.

Xiao Qixiu landed in the main arena. Chief Elder Xiao, who had stood in the air for a few consecutive days, finally decided to plant his feet on the ground and honestly host the competition.

He didn't dare fly in the air anymore. He was afraid that his heart wouldn't be able to take it if he saw another soul rise to the heavens.

He expertly took out a piece of paper from his robes, and the spectators immediately fell silent. They were all ears.

"I believe that everyone has heard about the death from yesterday…"

A glimmer appeared in everyone's eyes when Xiao Qixiu said this.

This matter would've silently passed if no one had mentioned it again, so didn't Xiao Qixiu mentioning it now mean that there were some follow-up matters to deal with?

Had a decision been made by the Spiritual Law Division? Was Xu Xiaoshou going to be barred from the competition?

Xiao Qixiu surveyed his surroundings. This was the first time he wasn't reading from the paper. His expression was stern.

"Here, I want to remind all of you…

"Even though the Tiansang Spirit Palace has provided all of you with a comfortable training environment, I don't want your wills and minds to weaken.

"One day, the time will come when you will graduate and head out of the palace. However, once you leave the spirit palace, there will definitely be many life or death moments in the Shengshen Continent!

"Every competition is an obstacle in the outside world. You need to give your best effort!

"However, at the same time, I hope that you maintain a good attitude. This attitude will define your life, your death, your morals. It will be your bottom line.

"If you cross that bottom line, you will eventually reap what you sow.

"Be it if your name is Xu Xiaoshou or Wen Chong!"

Everyone slipped into silence.

They were all waiting for an outcome. Was Xu Xiaoshou going to be barred from the competition or be judged not guilty and allowed to continue with the contest? No one knew the answer.

To these people, speculating about the results of the contests outweighed their regard for human life.

However, Xiao Qixiu had been unwilling to comment on the event yesterday. Instead, he made use of this incident to teach everyone a lesson.

Didn't Wen Chong die because he crossed the bottom line and reaped what he'd sown?

But whether or not Xu Xiaoshou had crossed the bottom line and intentionally landed the killing blow was also a question.

However, there could only be one resolution to this matter.

Now that Xiao Qixiu had said this, only time would tell whether Xu Xiaoshou met a good or bad end.

In the arena, Chief Elder Xiao felt very comforted when he saw the crowd's reaction.

To a person who had killed many a time like him, someone dying was no longer a big deal to him. He didn't have to put in that much effort and waste his words on this incident.

However, it was different with these young people. If his words only jolted a few of them awake to life's realities, that was enough to him.

It was meaningless for them to act on their momentary courage and hatred, as it would only cause them trouble in the future.

Xiao Qixiu was overcome with emotion. In the past, he wouldn't have said much, but things were different now.

After all, he was no longer the brutal killer Xiao Qixiu of the past. He was now a Chief Elder in the Tiansang Spirit Palace.

"Great!"

Xiao Qixiu shook the piece of paper in his hand and said, "Since that's the case, we shall now talk about the main issue at hand."

"The battle between the top 64 contestants will now start. The pairings will be drawn on the screen. There will be two people in every group. The time limit of the battle is 30 minutes!"

"Fight your hearts out today. We will have as many people advance as possible. We have the time!"

The crowd of spectators, who'd still been in deep silence, immediately started to stir at Xiao Qixiu's words, and the atmosphere gradually livened.

Chief Elder Xiao was very satisfied with the crowd's response, and he immediately waved his hand to signal for the competition to start and make the tense crowd spring into action.

"Now, the contest will start…"

"Wait!" a voice hurriedly interrupted him.

Everyone was shocked and looked at the person who'd spoken. He dared to interrupt the chief judge? Did he want to die?

"Xu Xiaoshou?"

"That person must be ill!"

"My God, it's already great enough that Elder Xiao didn't hold him accountable, yet he still wants to provoke him?"

"He's here, he's here, Xu Xiaoshou's here! As someone who's paid attention to him since the group stages, I dare say that Xu Xiaoshou isn't Xu Xiaoshou if he doesn't provoke others!"

Eighteen people dressed in black were sitting sternly in the panel of judges. The 12th judge immediately slumped over when Xu Xiaoshou arrived.

"He's here. That person is the Xu Xiaoshou I was telling you guys about."

"Look closely. That lad is definitely going to cause trouble!"

"I was tormented by that lad. Come, come, come, I'll bet one Spirit Crystal. Even Boss Xiao wouldn't be able to keep his composure in front of him!"

A few of the black-robed people beside him started to laugh, their eyes full of shock.

"Is he as bad as you say?"

"Doesn't he only have an Innate-stage physical body and an Acquired-stage Sword Will? I've seen many geniuses!"

"That's right. No matter how much of a genius he is, is he better than Su Qianqian from the Inner Yard?"

The 12th judge shifted his chair and leaned forward. He saw Xu Xiaoshou run to Xiao Qixiu and shook his head slightly.

"No, no, no, that's all secondary. What's most terrifying about that lad is how unpredictable he is!"

He paused for a moment, then added, "You never know what infuriating thing he'll do next."

Everyone was looking at the arena.

Xiao Qixiu's expression was terrifyingly dark. However, he could do nothing but watch the brazen, anxious young man run toward him.

A candidate could request the chief judge to pause the competition under special circumstances.

This was within the rules of the Windcloud Competition, though no one had ever done it.

"What's wrong? I'll finish you off if you don't have a special reason for this!" Xiao Qixiu spoke at the top of his voice. Xu Xiaoshou's interruption had made him a little flustered.

"Save me, Sir Judge!"

The young man in front of him was flustered, and his face was red. Xiao Qixiu could feel the scorching heat radiating from Xu Xiaoshou's body when he came closer to him.

Xu Xiaoshou was truly panicking!

He didn't know what the detestable old man had given him. As soon as that red seed had entered his stomach, he'd only felt his body get hotter and hotter. A terrifying, scorching aura had radiated out from the seed, continuously gnawing at his body.

He had tried to refine the seed by meditating at Goose Lake to expel the seed from his body.

However, the symptoms had only gotten worse the more he'd tried, and the seed had melted!

The scorching aura had seeped into every cell of his body and was continuously burning him.

Xu Xiaoshou felt as though he were about to explode.

Even his Innate-stage physical body couldn't tolerate the burning. Several of the meridians in his body had broken. He would die if this continued.

He had wanted to head to the Spiritual Medical Division, but all of the best medical attendants and pharmacists had come to help out in the Windcloud Competition.

Thus, he could only come here to look for them.

However, how could he easily find those people? Furthermore, he didn't know if the old man had anything to do with them, so he couldn't recklessly reveal himself.

Thus, Xu Xiaoshou could only use his trump card!

Xiao Qixiu looked coldly at the young man. He wanted to see what kind of nonsense Xu Xiaoshou was capable of spouting.

Xu Xiaoshou tore his shirt apart and revealed his red flesh.

"Save me, Judge!" he howled hysterically.

"I took drugs. Please bar me from the competition!"

"I want medical personnel to examine my body. Immediately, right now!"

Report chapter

Chapter 22: Requesting Help

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

All of the spectators were stunned. In this day and age, someone was actually requesting to be barred from the competition?

Xiao Qixiu's expression darkened. He had thought that it was a grave matter.

Doping?

What contestant didn't consume a few pills before the start of the competition to boost their abilities? There weren't even rules that prohibited a competitor from using pills to recover their spiritual strength.

"Nonsense!"

"Hurry up and get out of the arena!"

Xiao Qixiu was furious. He nearly drew his sword and thrust it at Xu Xiaoshou.

There was a bitter expression on Xu Xiaoshou's face. He said, "If not for the fact that I really took too many drugs, I wouldn't have to come to look for you. I really need help!"

He looked behind him. There was a bunch of angels in white robes sitting there.

Xiao Qixiu frowned. This young man really was anxious. Also, his stark-red body…

What was going on here?

He knew that Xu Xiaoshou had an Innate-stage physical body, so what kind of item was this that it was capable of making him experience such adverse side effects?

"Get over here!" Xiao Qixiu pressed his hand onto Xu Xiaoshou's chest, and a terrifying scorching energy instantly assaulted him.

Creak!

He smelled the scent of flesh burning and immediately pulled his hand away. He didn't have an Innate-stage physical body.

The spectators were dumbfounded.

"Oh f, just what kind of drugs did Xu Xiaoshou take? To think that it managed to injure Elder Xiao."

"This is insane. Did he really take drugs? And he dared to come here to turn himself in?"

"If it was really as he said, I would think that he had no other choice. Haha, this is too funny!"

Even Xiao Qixiu was startled. He quickly enveloped his palm with his spiritual source to eliminate the scorching aura. However, his palm had already been burned.

He had disregarded Xu Xiaoshou's symptoms and touched him without protecting himself with his spiritual source first. He ended up paying the price for that with a burned hand.

"The Infernal Fire Seed?"

"Elder Sang must have gone mad," he murmured to himself. "Didn't the Infernal Fire Seed once cripple a person with an Innate-stage physical body?"

Xu Xiaoshou nearly peed his pants when he heard this. He fearfully looked at Xiao Qixiu, his eyes full of questions.

Xiao Qixiu awkwardly stroked his hand as he realized that Xu Xiaoshou had overheard him muttering to himself. "That item is great," he quickly added. "It's your good fortune. There's nothing wrong, there's nothing wrong…"

Xu Xiaoshou was about to explode. "What do you mean that there's nothing wrong?" he thought to himself. "Didn't you just say that it once crippled a person with an Innate-stage physical body?"

"I heard everything!" he said slowly.

"You heard wrong!"

"Hehe!"

"Sigh!" Xiao Qixiu sighed. He patted Xu Xiaoshou's shoulder and said, "Go back and rest. Do your best. Fight through the pain!"

"Got encouraged. Passive Points 1."

Xu Xiaoshou was gobsmacked.

"That wasn't the answer I was looking for! I want medical attention!" he thought.

"I don't want to be burned and crippled!"

Xiao Qixiu no longer cared about Xu Xiaoshou. He got him to squat in the corner and announced the start of the competition, then went at his own pace and started drawing the pairings.

Everyone in the spectator seats grew interested. What was going on?

Xu Xiaoshou had admitted to taking drugs and requested to be barred from the competition, yet the judge had disregarded his claims and wasn't even going to give Xu Xiaoshou medical attention?

"Hahaha, this is too funny. What happened here today is a lesson that the evils we bring on ourselves are the hardest to bear!"

"Xu Xiaoshou is so pitiful. He took drugs and ended up in this state. Bravo!"

"Please give him some medical attention. He's about to turn into braised meat… Haha, I can't hold it in any longer!"

Xu Xiaoshou's upper body was bare, and he was becoming terrifyingly redder and redder, and there was steam rising from his body.

He dejectedly returned to his waiting area.

"How could he be so merciless? He didn't even get a medical worker to look at me…"

Xu Xiaoshou secretly mulled over the situation. He had gained something by coming here. At the very least, he had obtained some critical pieces of information.

The Infernal Fire Seed had once crippled a person with an Innate-stage physical body!

Also…

Elder Sang?

He seemed to have heard that name before…

Judging from the information that Xiao Qixiu had accidentally revealed, Xiao Qixiu knew about the item he had consumed… the Infernal Fire Seed?

Also, Xiao Qixiu might know the detestable old man.

This was the reason why Xu Xiaoshou didn't continue with his antics.

"They are partners in crime…"

Xu Xiaoshou sat down cross-legged and continued expelling the scorching aura from his body a little at a time. This was all he could do for the time being.

However, this terrifying scorching energy gradually seeped into his energy reserve as he refined it.

"Won't it eventually burn my energy reserve?"

Xu Xiaoshou felt indignant. He had unknowingly got done in by the detestable old man.

He suddenly remembered what Xiao Qixiu had said about this being his good fortune.

Perhaps that detestable old man had given him the Infernal Fire Seed to get him to successfully refine it?

Now that it had come to this, he was no longer hung up on how this item had once crippled a person with an Innate-stage physical body. No one was going to help him, so he had to depend on himself.

The screen above the arena flickered. Names were chosen, and two people walked into the arena.

The spectators were joyfully shouting. The atmosphere inside the arena was charged with energy.

Xu Xiaoshou, on the other hand, was trying his best to refine the seed. He took out the Red Gold Pill and took a whiff of it from time to time, using the high to neutralize the pain and heal his injured body.

"Got attacked. Passive Points 1."

"Got attacked. Passive Points 1."

The notification panel in his mind refreshed every second. Xu Xiaoshou was constantly being burned. On an average day, the number of passive points he was gaining would've made him happy, but now…

Hehe, it had once crippled a person with an Innate-stage physical body.

That sentence was like a nightmare, continuously coming back to haunt him.

"Sigh, do I still have to participate in the competition? What's going on?

Even though he was trying his best to hang in there, his condition was terrible. The meridians in his body were being severed one after the other, then restored time after time by the Red Gold Pill.

The pain was unimaginable.

"Oh, maybe I can dispel this scorching energy through battle?"

Sometime later, Xu Xiaoshou, who was sitting cross-legged on the ground, had a stroke of inspiration and abruptly stood up.

That idea might work!

He looked at the arena. Many pairs had already been drawn, however, his name hadn't been picked yet.

The most eye-catching person in the arena right now was a man in white robes. His expression was cold, and he was wielding an Ice Stream Sword. His attacks turned his opponents into ice sculptures as he sliced his way to victory.

"Zhao Qingteng, victorious!"

Xu Xiaoshou's eyes glimmered. Ice?

He really wanted the other party to slice him with his sword. He'd feel so comfortable he might explode!

However, Zhao Qingteng…

He was an Innate-stage fighter!

This made him a little nervous.

The screen flickered again. Two names appeared in bold on the screen.

"Xu Xiaoshou!"

"Zhang Fei!"

As soon as the announcer's words fell, the spectators erupted with excitement. This was the second time this had happened. The first time was when the Innate-stage fighter Zhao Qingteng had entered the arena.

"He's here, he's here, Xu Xiaoshou!"

"Open your eyes wide, Sandbag Xu is coming!"

"Oh? Why is he called Sandbag Xu?"

"You don't know? Let me tell you, that Xu Xiaoshou…"

Xu Xiaoshou immediately flew into the arena from the waiting area and once again ran to Xiao Qixiu. "Give me treatment if I defeat this person!" he pleaded.

Xiao Qixiu's expression turned dark. What kind of candidate was this?

"I'm a judge," he thought. "Who do you take me for? You ran over here to talk to me like this?!"

One of the people from the panel of judges behind Xiao Qixiu was elated. "Look at Boss Xiao. Xu Xiaoshou's only just come up to him, and he's already starting to get frustrated!"

He was quite happy and observed Xu Xiaoshou with curiosity.

"Go back and stand in your corner!" Xiao Qixiu scolded.

Xu Xiaoshou pointed to his neck. It was billowing smoke.

There was an unpleasant look on Xiao Qixiu's face as he looked at Xu Xiaoshou. However, he was the judge, so it wasn't like he could do anything to him.

"Look, this area is already burned red. I'm a candidate. I have the right to receive treatment!"

"Hehe, you did this to yourself before the competition, so it has nothing to do with me!"

Xiao Qixiu did want to treat Xu Xiaoshou, but even the best medical worker present, much less himself, wouldn't be able to help him, so all he could do was get Xu Xiaoshou to fight through the pain.

Xu Xiaoshou's eyes glimmered when he heard this, and he said, "That's right. Since I did this before the competition, it has nothing to do with you, but if I get injured during the competition, you have to treat me!"

"Yes, that's right!" He nodded hard, then muttered loudly to himself, "Furthermore, according to the rules, you have to restore me to tip-top form!"

Xiao Qixiu looked really angry now. "Scram!

"Zhang Fei!

"Where are you, Zhang Fei? Hurry and come into the arena!"

Report chapter

Chapter 23: One Punch, One Palm

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

In the arena, Xu Xiaoshou looked menacing.

There was a manic look in his eyes. He took off his shirt and revealed his chest. His body was stark red, and there was steam rising from his skin. He looked like a living god of war.

"Where are you, Zhang Fei? Come up here and battle me!" Xu Xiaoshou shouted. He wanted to infuriate Zhang Fei to get him to attack him. That way, Xiao Qixiu would take action and save him when he saw the pitiful scene about to unfold.

Of course, the most important thing was removing the Infernal Fire Seed in his body.

In the waiting area.

Zhang Fei and his friends looked worried.

"In my opinion, you should admit defeat. He's Xu Xiaoshou. Besides the two Innate-stage fighters, he's the most notorious dark horse in this competition."

Zhang Fei looked a little hesitant. "But…"

"Look at him. That guy really has taken drugs. Didn't you see him when he killed Wen Chong?"

"He wasn't as manic then as he is now. If you go up the arena, you'll either be killed or dismembered!"

Zhang Fei shivered. What his friend said made sense.

But…

He raised his hand and looked at the bite mark on it. He knitted his brows and said, "I just talked trash about him yesterday. Wouldn't it be really disgraceful to admit defeat the moment we encounter each other today?"

"Is losing face worse than losing your life?"

Zhang Fei thought about it, then shook his head and said, "He might not be able to break through my defenses!"

He shrugged off his friend's hand and quickly got into the arena.

"Sigh, what a fool!" A pitiful sigh came from behind Zhang Fei.

"You're Zhang Fei?"

Xu Xiaoshou looked at the tall muscular man. His fists were like bags of sand.

Great. It would definitely be a pathetic scene if he got beaten up by this person.

Which was the effect he wanted!

He glanced smugly at Xiao Qixiu. The chief judge would have to save him if he was faced with the spectator's skepticism later!

As long as the chief judge had to save him, there was no way he could disregard the seed in his body.

Zhang Fei clasped his hands. "Hello, Senior Xu. The technique that I've cultivated is called the Great Metal Bronze Body. My defenses are exceptional, so please don't hold back."

Great Metal Bronze Body?

Xu Xiaoshou staggered. "Isn't that a defensive spiritual technique?" he thought. "You're supposed to be beating me up. How could you have cultivated such a technique? You're not living up to your great physique."

Xiao Qixiu instantly snickered. How could he not know what Xu Xiaoshou's plan was?

He waved his hand. "Battle, start!"

This wasn't good. He had to force the other party to attack. Otherwise, his first plan would be foiled!

He made a provocative gesture at Zhang Fei. Then, he got into a loose battle stance and signaled that he wasn't going to move if his opponent wasn't going to move.

Zhang Fei gave a slight smile. He let out a low grunt and got into the same battle stance. The spiritual strength in his body surged as his skin turned a shade of copper.

The battle reached a stalemate.

The spectators burst out laughing.

"Hahaha, I have to hand it to the both of them. This is a competition. What are they doing!"

"Zhang Fei's Great Metal Bronze Technique only has one retaliation move at the end. What's Xu Xiaoshou doing? Doesn't he have offensive techniques? Attack!"

"Attack? Don't you know he's called Sandbag Xu? Xu Xiaoshou will only get attacked. He'll feel itchy all over if he isn't beaten up!"

"Haha, I can't take it anymore. We'll be watching them stay their stances until nightfall at this rate!"

Xiao Qixiu's expression darkened. He'd been angry more times today than in the entire year combined.

All of them, what were they doing?

This was a competition!

"Please take note, candidates, that the battle only lasts 30 minutes!"

Xu Xiaoshou knitted his brows. "This Zhang Fei has good focus. It looks like he isn't planning on attacking, so isn't my first plan foiled?

"Do I really have to attack to get rid of the scorching energy in my body?"

He could attack, but he was afraid that his opponent wouldn't be able to withstand it!

Xu Xiaoshou turned back to look at Xiao Qixiu. "You're really not going to save me?"

"Hehe!" Xiao Qixiu replied with a snicker.

"You don't believe my attack will kill him?" Xu Xiaoshou pointed at Zhang Fei.

Zhang Fei's face turned green. He felt his legs go numb, and he fought back the urge to jump out of the arena.

"Your beef is with judge Xiao, not me," he thought. "Why did you drag me into it?"

Xiao Qixiu's expression turned cold. "This lad is trying to threaten me?" he thought.

"Attack if you please," he said. "If Zhang Fei dies, I lose!"

Zhang Fei felt his legs shake. "D*mn it. I'm not an object you can wager on. I'm a living person!"

The panel of judges was startled.

"Boss Qiao's become furious?!"

"Darn it, this Xu Xiaoshou is impressive. To think that he could make Boss Xiao utter those words. I have to hand it to him!"

"Hehe, I've told you that this Xu Xiaoshou is impressive. However, I'm quite worried about the lad on the other side."

"Level Nine… He should be able to take the attack…"

In the arena, Xu Xiaoshou raised his brows slightly when he heard Xiao Qixiu's words. He wasn't looking at Zhang Fei. He was looking straight at Xiao Qixiu.

"Are you sure?"

He activated the aura of the Infernal Fire Seed in his body, then fiercely punched the ground.

Boom!

A large crater appeared in the arena, and a scorching energy instantly blasted through the surroundings, burning the area a few meters around the crater pitch-black.

"I really took drugs. No one will be able to take this attack!" Xu Xiaoshou flexed his arms to show his muscles.

Just that?

Xiao Qixiu looked disdainful.

Zhang Fei was tired. Seeing how nonchalant Xu Xiaoshou was, as well as how unphased Xia Qixiu was, he could see his pitiful fate.

"Save me. Do I continue standing here or not?" he thought.

Xu Xiaoshou's punch had scared him half to death and made everyone's eyelids twitch.

"My God, that destructive power…"

"Zhang Fei is too pitiful. He managed to defend his spot for three consecutive battles in the preliminary round, but it's like he doesn't even exist in front of Xu Xiaoshou."

"Please take a look at Zhang Fei before you guys continue with your conversation. His legs are trembling!"

Zhang Fei's legs were trembling. But it wasn't just his legs. His voice also trembled as he said, "Senior Xu, please hold back. Don't take what I said earlier seriously. Just give me a few light taps."

He muttered, "Please allow me to save face…"

The spectators burst out laughing. Seeing that Xiao Qixiu was silent, Xu Xiaoshou fiercely charged forward. "Enjoy the last moments of your life!"

Xiao Qixiu stared at him. Even though he felt that the lad was joking, he had to be prepared if Xu Xiaoshou was serious!

Boom!

Xu Xiaoshou's punch landed on Zhang Fei's chest, and a pulsing, scorching energy burst forth, and he felt the high that comes with letting loose.

Creak…

Zhang Fei's hair was singed, and even his clothes were a little charred. However, he didn't move from his position.

Xu Xiaoshou was shocked. "To think that he managed to take his punch at 50% power!" he thought. "He's decent!"

Letting loose really had an effect. His opponent had a strong defense. Since that was the case, the chief judge need not save him. He should save Zhang Fei!

"Huff!"

He took a deep breath, engaging his diaphragm. This would be his first time using his spiritual strength in his attack.

A visible scorching aura gathered around his left hand. It looked like his hand was burning with a formless fire, causing the area around it to distort slightly.

Zhang Fei's pupils dilated.

"Take it, I have to take it!" he thought. "It won't be embarrassing to admit defeat after taking this attack!"

Xu Xiaoshou calmly said, "One punch, one palm!"

Zhang Fei became flustered. He immediately changed his mind. "I admit…"

Boom!

A beam of light flashed, and Xu Xiaoshou's punch landed on Zhang Fei's chest. An explosion was heard in the air, and a visible heatwave spread throughout the surroundings. The stones in the arena were instantly charred and sent flying.

The pulsing spiritual strength behind this punch made Xu Xiaoshou feel as though he were slapping a mosquito. He instantly sent Zhang Fei flying.

Zhang Fei hadn't yet finished his sentence when he immediately became unconscious from the impact and was sent flying out of the arena. His body was dragged backward along the ground from the momentum of his fall, creating a deep ravine in the ground.

Thud, thud!

Sparks flew the moment his body stopped flying backward, and flames erupted over his body.

"Save him!" Xiao Qixiu roared.

The white-robed angels didn't need to be told this. They'd already gone over to Zhang Fei the moment he was sent flying. They split the work evenly between themselves and extinguished the fire and tended to Zhang Fei's wounds.

"That felt great!"

Xu Xiaoshou took out a Red Gold Pill and sniffed it. He let out a comfortable moan.

He had managed to expel a good amount of the scorching energy in his body from his attack. Even though he still felt miserable, he'd won in terms of letting loose!

He glanced at Chief Judge Xiao, who was glaring at him. "I was holding back," he said innocently. "He'd already be dead if I hadn't."

Xiao Qixiu was speechless.

The spectators were speechless.

Chapter 24: Three Sentence Technique

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

Everyone in the arena gasped.

"He really just used one punch and one palm!"

"Why do I feel so bad for Zhang Fei? But it is a little funny. He used all his effort to get into the top 64, but in the end…"

"It's undeniably funny. But this Xu Xiaoshou might be a little too powerful. He's almost as strong as the people ranked first and second on the scoreboard!"

"After seeing this, can't you tell that this person might really have an Innate-stage physical body!?"

"Innate-stage physical body?"

"I don't know. Someone analyzed the situation a few days ago and said that the probability of that being true is 70%. Now that we just saw that punch and palm, I would think that probability has increased to 90%."

Many people fell silent after hearing this. An Innate-stage physical body was extremely difficult to cultivate, and a person's efforts might not even yield any results, yet someone had managed to obtain an Innate-stage physical body?

"Maybe it's because Xu Xiaoshou took drugs? Look at the scorching heatwave radiating from his body. He's already requested to be barred from the competition. Why isn't the judge doing anything about it?" some people protested out of jealousy, and their words naturally reached Xiao Qixiu's ears.

He disregarded them. He didn't even care to explain himself.

Everyone has their opportunities. Was there a rule against mastering a powerful technique before the competition?

Even if there was such a rule, were they going to prohibit someone from training before the competition, achieving a breakthrough during the competition, or improving after reflecting on the competition?

This was the case for Xu Xiaoshou. The Infernal Fire Seed that Elder Sang had given him couldn't even be regarded as an opportunity, as his body might be destroyed if things went wrong.

You can obtain an Innate-stage physical body if you have the ability, but someone might use you as the subject for their experiment.

Xu Xiaoshou ignored his surroundings and walked back to the waiting area. The competition continued. Thirty-two people out of the original 64 would be advancing. There were still many battles to go. He had more than enough time to rest.

While he sniffed at the Red Gold Pill, he paid attention to his notification panel and couldn't help but be elated.

"Got respected. Passive Points 142."

"Got envied. Passive Points 874."

"Got mocked. Passive Points 113."

"Got attacked. Passive Points 1."

The notifications told him about the emotions he had stirred up rather than the Passive Points he'd gained!

"Listen, so many people in the spectator seats are saying good things about me!" he thought. "Look, so many people are secretly envious of me. Tsk tsk!"

Xu Xiaoshou glanced down the notifications.

"Passive Points: 42888."

Clang!

He hit his head on the railing, and a wave of mocking laughter came from the spectator seats. The number of Passive Points soared again to 43003.

"How could I have so many?"

Xu Xiaoshou was stunned. He remembered that he only had a little more than 10000 points after the three battles in the preliminary round. How could his Passive Points have skyrocketed in just one morning?

He tried his best to think back but couldn't recall having done anything to anger anyone.

"Killing Wen Chong?

"Impossible," he thought. I was still in the barrier during that time and wouldn't have received the bulk of the Passive Points then. Even if I had, I imagine it would've been several hundred points, or a little more than a thousand at most.

"How could the points have risen by more than 30000!"

Xu Xiaoshou quickly scrolled through the past notifications to take a look. All of the notifications looked objective and realistic. They each gave him a dozen or several hundred points, but no numbers larger than that appeared.

"Could the system have made a mistake?" The thought flashed through his mind. However, he quickly discarded the idea. He'd sooner believe that a meteor was falling from the sky.

"Got attacked. Passive Points 1."

"Got attacked. Passive Points 1."

While he was in a daze, the notification panel continued to update every second. It constantly updated. Xu Xiaoshou groggily looked at the notifications, then suddenly slapped himself on the head.

"The Infernal Fire Seed?!" He seemed to understand what was going on now.

His body had continuously been burned since dawn, which was when he ate the item. The system must have classified the burn as an attack received per second.

Which meant that he'd gotten one Passive Point every second.

Getting a Passive Point every second wasn't very impressive, and Xu Xiaoshou didn't pay it any attention.

However, those points would really add up as time went on!

Xu Xiaoshou did a simple calculation in his head. It must've been around seven in the morning when he met that detestable old man. It looked like a little more than three periods had passed.

Xu Xiaoshou started counting on his fingers, then used his toes to continue counting.

Three periods was six hours. There were sixty minutes in an hour, sixty seconds in a minute…

Over 20000 seconds!

Over 20000 Passive Points!

Creak!

Xu Xiaoshou exhaled two jets of steam and forgot about the chair he was sitting on. He released the spiritual strength around his buttocks and the heat emanating from his body completely melted the chair.

He fell onto the ground with a thump.

An attendant immediately ran over and asked him what happened.

In a daze, Xu Xiaoshou waved his hand to signal that he wasn't in any trouble. The attendant was about to leave when Xu Xiaoshou quickly stopped him. "Wait, help me calculate how many seconds there are in a day," he said.

"A day?"

The attendant thought for a while, then said, "Around 86400 seconds, I think!"

Thud!

Xu Xiaoshou crushed the cup in his hand. He'd been struggling to get up, but he fell limply onto the ground once again. "What did you say?" he exclaimed. "Say it again!"

The attendant looked at Xu Xiaoshou's body, which was constantly emitting steam. He didn't know whether to help him up or not. All he could do was say again, "Eighty-six thousand and four hundred!"

"Gulp!"

Xu Xiaoshou swallowed. More than 80000?

His facial expressions were interesting. One second it was pain, then bliss, then shock, then a silly grin…

The attendant didn't know why Xu Xiaoshou was acting so insane, but then he suddenly remembered the instructions he'd gotten from the panel of judges. He needn't care about Xu Xiaoshou, no matter what requests he had or what condition he was in. He could just regard Xu Xiaoshou as an idiot.

He silently left the waiting area, thinking that the chief judge lived up to his reputation. He knew about everything!

Xu Xiaoshou held up the Red Gold Pill and took a deep breath to quell his agitation, and shuddered. After doing this, he noticed that he was about to run out of Red Gold Pills.

In just a little more than half a day, he had used up the two bottles of pills Elder Qiao and the previous judge had given him.

Xu Xiaoshou thought it was a pity. Those were items that could save his life!

However, this proved how powerful the Infernal Fire Seed was.

However, after realizing how valuable the Infernal Fire Seed was, Xu Xiaoshou was no longer in so much pain that he needed to vent. Instead, he started to feel happy.

"Pain?" he thought.

"Hehe, it'll pass in a flash.

"A successful man doesn't become successful without going through immense pain. If I only pay attention to the pain, I won't experience the bliss that comes after."

He waved his hand and summoned the attendant once again. "Go and look for Elder Xiao, the chief judge in the arena," he instructed. "Ask him for some Red Gold Pills. Remember to bring me some."

The attendant looked at him like he was an idiot.

"Are you dreaming?" he thought.

Xu Xiaoshou's face was already red, so there was nothing for him to be shy about. He continued, "I'll teach you the three-sentence technique. Remember it well!"

"First, if he doesn't agree, tell him, 'you were unwilling to give me medical attention, so you should at least give me some Red Gold Pills. I'm also a candidate. I will not stand for this!'"

The attendant was at his wit's end. "He thinks I'd dare to talk to Elder Xiao like this?" he thought. "He's the chief elder of the Spiritual Law Division, not a street vendor.

"And for free?

"Keep dreaming!"

"Second," Xu Xiaoshou continued, "If he still doesn't agree, you can say, 'Hehe, don't think I don't know that you're partners in crime and are experimenting on human bodies.' Your tone must be firm. You must be fierce!"

The attendant was a little dizzy. "This Xu Xiaoshou is definitely daring," he thought. "Be fierce? Have a firm tone? Why don't you go and die?"

"Third, he must have agreed by this point. There's no way that he'd dismiss the request. You can add a final line, 'Since you're already willing to give me the pills, are you not embarrassed that you're giving so little? Add a zero to the back!'"

"Go yourself!" the attendant laughed coldly.

"Go by myself?" Xu Xiaoshou immediately became unhappy. "I'm a candidate, and you're an attendant. We each have our jobs to do!

"I still have to battle and fight later, so I need to recuperate now. Hurry and head over.

"Do your best. Don't be afraid. He isn't scary. You have to know that people who hold higher positions than you are more afraid of soiling their reputation. He wouldn't attack you for no reason."

The attendant staggered backward. "Are the things you're asking of me not good reason enough?" he thought.

"Go!"

Xu Xiaoshou waved his hand. The attendant didn't know how to react momentarily, and could only leave with a bitter expression on his face.

"It's too hard!" he thought.

"I want to change my job!"

Report chapter

Chapter 25: Let's First Spin With 10000 Passive Points

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

Xu Xiaoshou immediately returned to the red interface after the attendant left.

"Sharpness (Acquired Lv. 9)"

"Sharpness (Acquired Lv. 10)"

"Sharpness (Innate Lv. 1)

Xu Xiaoshou held a spirit crystal in his mouth and constantly inhaled it. His eyes were unfocused, and there was a blissful, foolish smile on his face.

When he was poor, he'd never dreamed that being rich could make him this happy.

He splurged on his techniques since he now had so many Passive Points. However, he only spent 3000 points, which was negligible considering he now had more than 40000 Passive Points.

Xu Xiaoshou finally had a second Innate-stage passive skill after Strengthen.

As Sharpness reached the Innate-stage, an undulating transparent sheen appeared on the surface of his body. It looked like it could slice through anything. It looked like a glistening treasure, and was extremely splendid.

Xu Xiaoshou had a thought. He willed the light to gather in his forearm and transformed his arm into a blade. Then, he sliced his hand down toward the ground.

Creak!

A deep crack appeared in the ground, as if a sharp blade had just sliced through it.

Xu Xiaoshou's eyes glimmered, and he gathered the light to his toes and swept toward the ground again.

"Creak!"

His shoes were torn apart.

Xu Xiaoshou was speechless.

However, he couldn't contain his excitement when he saw the sword-like marks under his feet.

"Indeed, every passive skill will undergo a huge transformation when it's raised to the Innate-stage."

He remembered Strengthen. That passive skill had taken his body into the Innate-stage the moment it reached the Innate-stage. Now, a transparent glow that gave every part of his body extraordinary slicing capabilities had appeared the moment Sharpness reached the Innate-stage.

This was the best weapon for assassins. It was indefensible.

He could suddenly kick an opponent during the competition and tear enemies into two…

Xu Xiaoshou couldn't help but tremble at the thought. That was too terrifying!

Because it was a passive skill, there was no casting time or prelude, so how could anyone defend against his attack, even if he used it out in the open?

They couldn't!

"You can defend against my kick to your nether regions, but can you defend against the rest of my attacks?"

Xu Xiaoshou thought outside the box. He gathered the transparent glow onto his hair, then took out a spirit crystal and threw it up into the air.

Thud, thud!

His hair swept past the crystal, and the crystal, which was as hard as granite, was reduced to fragments. The pieces hit the ground with a series of thuds.

Xu Xiaoshou was dazed. "That was an unconventional idea. But it worked?"

He felt immense pity for the shattered spirit crystals on the ground. "What a waste," he thought. "I should have tested the passive skill on a piece of rock instead."

Xu Xiaoshou finally realized how powerful the Passive System really was. Each of his passive skills were spiritual techniques that could be upgraded. Furthermore, he could enhance them without training.

Currently, he had two Innate-stage spiritual skills, and he had another two skills that could be enhanced to the Innate-stage!

But this wasn't the most important thing. More crucially, these were all passive skills. If used well, they were basically active skills that could be instantly cast!

"That's too terrifying…"

Xu Xiaoshou giggled as he exchanged his points for ten Passive Keys. I'll use 10000 Passive Points for now. I'll top it off if that's not enough!

Originally, the Fleeting White Clouds was his trump card. However, he'd had to show it before he wanted to because of Wen Chong, and no longer had a finishing move in his arsenal.

Having all of his trump cards exposed was a dangerous thing.

He had to obtain a passive skill with more destructive capabilities. Otherwise, he might not be able to defeat the two Innate-stage fighters, Mo Mo and Zhao Qingteng, if he encountered them in his upcoming battles.

Xu Xiaoshou had become a little arrogant. At the very least, in his eyes, only the two Innate-stage fighters could be a match for him in the Outer Yard.

That was the truth. He'd even defeated powerful people like Wen Chong, Liu Zhen, and Zhang Fei. In the eyes of the crowd, he had the right to compete for the top spot on the scoreboard.

Xu Xiaoshou placed the keys into the wheel one by one, feeling really good. He'd feel even better if he got a black screen again.

The illusion of the white clouds that the Sword Technique Expertise had given him had more than doubled his powers, and he naturally wanted more.

As the last key disappeared, Xu Xiaoshou went through his routine and shouted, "Hah! RNGesus bless me!" and then looked expectantly at the notification panel.

"Better luck next time!"

"Better luck next time!"

"Better luck next time!"

"Better luck next time!"

"Better luck next time!"

"Better luck next time!"

"Better luck next time!"

"Better luck next time!"

"Better luck next time!"

"Better luck next time!"

This…

Thump!

Xu Xiaoshou fainted, and his eyes rolled back into his head as he fell face-first onto the ground.

Another attendant in the waiting area felt that something was off. He had constantly been keeping an eye on Xu Xiaoshou's antics. Xu Xiaoshou had sliced the ground and tossed his hair around, looking like he was having a lot of fun playing by himself, just like a child from the attendant's family.

However, why did he suddenly fall?!

This was a grave matter.

He quickly ran over and shook Xu Xiaoshou awake. Xu Xiaoshou was dazed when he first woke up, and he fainted again when he saw the notification panel.

"F*!

"The judge was right. This Xu Xiaoshou is a handful!" he thought.

As a qualified attendant, he had some medical experience and could tell that Xu Xiaoshou had fainted from mental trauma.

But…

This was his first time seeing someone make himself faint by tossing his hair around!

Slap, slap, slap!

The attendant repeatedly slapped Xu Xiaoshou using his spiritual strength, and finally woke Xu Xiaoshou up again. Xu Xiaoshou, who had just woken up, looked blankly at the attendant, and two rivers of tears flowed down his cheeks.

The attendant was flustered. "What's going on?" he thought. "I didn't do anything to you when you were unconscious!"

"Leave, I don't want to see you. Let me have some time alone!" Xu Xiaoshou cried.

The attendant was confused.

He turned around and decidedly left.

Xu Xiaoshou felt extremely bitter. He had considered the worst-case scenario, but he hadn't expected it to really happen.

"That was 10000 Passive Points!"

"Gone just like that. You're toying with me!

"You didn't even give me an extra key. You're cruel, you're merciless, you're ridiculous!"

Xu Xiaoshou felt like his body had been hollowed out, and he no longer had the strength to stand up. He thought about the 30000 points he had left. "Should I level up the Breathing Technique and Sword Technique Expertise?" he thought.

"No, I don't believe this. I'll do ten more spins!"

Xu Xiaoshou was someone who would never admit defeat. At least, that was what he thought. Thus, he exchanged his points for ten more keys.

"If I don't get anything this time, I'll…

"I'll…

"Hah!" He exhaled and chose to give in to his fear. He silently inserted the keys until the last one had disappeared.

"Hah! RN…" Xu Xiaoshou shouted out of habit, but then his voice gradually became softer, and he looked up at the sky without saying anything.

"Forget it, I can't get hyped up," he thought to himself.

"Better luck next time!"

"One extra key!"

"Better luck next time!"

"One extra key!"

"Better luck next time!"

"Better luck next time!"

"Obtained Fundamental Passive Skill: Eternal Vitality!"

"One extra key!"

"Better luck next time!"

"Better luck next time!"

Xu Xiaoshou's eyes shone with greed, and he bounced around with excitement.

"Look at that long line that's so out of place!"

"I! Got! Something!"

"Hahaha!"

He laughed maniacally at the sky. The Passive Points needed for 20 keys was equivalent to the points needed to level-up two techniques to the Innate-stage. But he'd gotten a new passive skill out of that. Was it worth it?

Yes!

Xu Xiaoshou felt that it was extremely worth it!

He couldn't level-up his skills if he didn't have any, but he could slowly amass more points in the future to level-up the skills he'd obtained.

Xu Xiaoshou hugged the pillar and bounced around as if he'd gone insane. He raised his head, and his manic laugh spread through the waiting area.

"He's gone mad, he's gone mad!"

The attendant looked at Xu Xiaoshou, who was constantly rubbing himself against the pillar, looking like he'd just opened a door to a whole new world.

Could someone really get that much happiness from playing by oneself?

"Am I the one who can't keep up with the times?"

He sighed melancholically as he looked at Xu Xiaoshou, who was hugging the pillar. He was extremely worried, as the pillar got a little thinner every time Xu Xiaoshou jumped. What a terrifying situation!

Report chapter

Chapter 26: I'll Give You All Of Them

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

Xu Xiaoshou hadn't accessed the interface in a long time. He opened it and looked at the first section.

One, Fundamental Passive Skills:

Breathing Technique (Acquired Lv. 1).

Eternal Vitality (Acquired Lv. 1).

The new passive skill he'd gotten was in the "Fundamental Passive Skill" section, which surprised him a little.

He was no longer a newbie that didn't know anything about the system. While fundamental passive skills weren't comparatively as functional as extended passive skills, their supportive capabilities were terrifying.

This was evident in the Breathing Technique, which belonged to the same category as the new technique.

Xu Xiaoshou had never leveled up the Breathing Technique, but not because the skill wasn't powerful. On the contrary, it was too powerful. The side effects that came with making the technique stronger were a little scary, and Xu Xiaoshou was afraid of them.

"So will Eternal Vitality also be this powerful?" he thought.

Xu Xiaoshou mulled over the passive skill's name. "My life force will be eternally flowing?"

"If that's the case, won't it be a great help to me?"

He looked into his body at his energy reserve and then focused his attention on the Infernal Fire Seed that was continuously being refined.

The seed was only the size of a fingernail, but it harbored a horrifying amount of energy that was impossible to quantify.

Xu Xiaoshou would be put through torturous pain as long as this item was inside him. It was releasing a scorching aura every second that was manically eating at his insides.

His blood, nerves, bones…

Everything, including his cells, was being engulfed by the scorching aura.

The surface of his body was blood red, but that only looked terrible. If a person could see inside his body, they'd realize that he was injured all over.

Every inch of his muscles had been charred to a crisp, and his meridians had been baked until they severed.

However, because of the Breathing Technique's existence, all he needed to do was take a whiff of a Red Gold Pill whenever his injuries were aggravated to instantly recover, allowing him to last a little longer.

Now, he was almost at the end of his supply of Red Gold Pills. He no longer had any to smell. However, when he observed himself now, he saw that his ravaged nerves and bones were slowly recovering on their own.

But their recovery speed couldn't keep up with the speed at which they were being destroyed. However, his recovery rate had become much faster than that of the average person!

Xu Xiaoshou immediately realized that this was the effect of Eternal Vitality.

"So the effect of this new passive skill is accelerating the speed at which my injuries heal?"

It was the best technique he could've asked for!

Xu Xiaoshou didn't hesitate. He still had 20,000 points after spinning the wheel 20 times. Thus, he purchased five Skill Points and dumped it all into the passive skill.

"Eternal Vitality (Acquired Lv. 6)."

Xu Xiaoshou looked visibly more refreshed. Vitality coursed through his body, and his injuries were instantly greatly alleviated.

"Indeed!" Xu Xiaoshou looked surprised. What a miraculous technique!

He once again purchased five Skill Points and used them on the technique.

"Eternal Vitality (Innate Lv. 1)."

A rich life force spread out into the surroundings like a web, and it made the attendant who was constantly glancing at Xu Xiaoshou suddenly more energetic.

He was shocked and immediately averted his gaze. However, he now felt like he had unlimited energy and suddenly started to miss home.

If it had this strong of an effect on an outsider, then it probably had an even stronger effect on him. His mouth opened wide in shock as he observed the situation in his body.

The destruction speed of the Infernal Fire Seed had been forcefully evened out by the Eternal Vitality. Both effects had reached a stalemate, neither of them surpassing the other.

"This…"

Xu Xiaoshou was stunned. This recovery rate was a little too terrifying!

He'd had to use two bottles of Red Gold Pills to counteract half a day's worth of the Infernal Fire Seed's effects. That was nearly ten Red Gold Pills.

Yet the recovery rate of Eternal Vitality could go toe to toe with the destructive capabilities of the seed. Didn't that mean he'd no longer have to consume Red Gold Pills to recover from his injuries in the future?

That would save him a lot of resources!

Then, the attendant, who was still glancing at Xu Xiaoshou out of curiosity, became mortified when he saw him take out the ninth-grade spiritual sword from within his ring and stab it into his palm.

Puuu!

Blood splattered everywhere, and the attendant thought that the situation had taken a turn for the worse.

He'd shaken his head and fainted for no reason, which was bad enough, and now he was starting to mutilate himself?

There must be something wrong with that Xu Xiaoshou!

Xu Xiaoshou didn't care. He looked at the stab wound on his palm. It recovered at a rapid pace and was fully healed in an instant.

It didn't even leave a scar!

"Oh, f*…"

Xu Xiaoshou couldn't help but curse. The Innate-stage Eternal Vitality healed him a lot faster than the Red Gold Pill.

Thud, thud, thud!

Xu Xiaoshou heard footsteps from far away. He looked over and saw that it was the attendant who'd run off just now.

He had ten medicine bottles in his hands, and his face was filled with disbelief. He didn't expect to obtain the Red Gold Pills from Elder Xiao just by following what Xu Xiaoshou had told him to do. He even managed to obtain ten bottles. It was like a dream.

More importantly, this batch of pills had been given to him for free!

Xu Xiaoshou smiled widely. "You managed to get it. Ten bottles?"

The attendant felt as if he'd just woken up from a dream, and he nodded in a daze.

"Did it feel good?" Xu Xiaoshou asked. "Talking like that to the chief elder of the Spiritual Law Division? That must've been the highlight of your life, right?"

The attendant nodded profusely.

"Feeling good is great. And there's something for you to feel even better about!" Xu Xiaoshou waved his arm. "You can have all of those!"

The attendant was dumbfounded. "No no no, these are your items. I can't take these!"

He hadn't come to his senses. Even though he didn't know what kind of insanity Xu Xiaoshou was under, he had professional standards and would never accept bribes.

Xu Xiaoshou chuckled. "It's fine. I'm willing. Keep them!"

The attendant continued shaking his head.

"You really don't want them?"

"I really don't!" Xu Xiaoshou fetched the ten bottles of Red Gold Pills from him and waved at the other attendant, who looked envious. "Come. I'll give these all to you!"

Attendant A was speechless.

Attendant B was also speechless.

Both of them were completely silent. They looked at each other and saw that they were both trying to suppress their desire.

Xu Xiaoshou fought back the desire to laugh. "All right, there are only the two of you here. No one will notice if you guys split this among yourselves!"

The two of them shook their heads.

Xu Xiaoshou couldn't take it anymore. "Must you put a damper on my mood?" he scolded. "Two bottles for each of you. End of discussion."

The attendants still wanted to decline, but Xu Xiaoshou took out Hiding Pain and stabbed it into the ground.

"Are you taking it or not?!"

"Yes!"

"Good!"

He secretly gifted four out of the ten bottles he'd received.

It couldn't be helped. These people were too cowardly to accept his gift, so he had to use his sword to force them to accept. Fortunately, with a little bit of force and coercion, he eventually ended up sharing his happiness with the people around him.

After all, these were Red Gold Pills. These were recovery pills that someone might not be able to obtain even if they begged for it. Thus, the two attendants were happy to go against the rules this one time.

Of course, they were rather morally upright under normal circumstances. Xu Xiaoshou could vouch for them.

Evening was approaching. The 32 people advancing to the next round had finally been determined. According to the rules, they had to determine the top 16 candidates today.

Xu Xiaoshou hadn't finished being happy after giving away the pills when he heard the judge call his name. He immediately left the waiting area and headed toward the arena.

His shadow elongated under the setting sun.

The two attendants each held a bottle of Red Gold Pills in their hands, feeling that the heavily injured figure returning to the arena looked extraordinarily attractive.

"I never once thought that Xu Xiaoshou was like that."

"Yes, yes!"

"Generous, suave, a cut above the rest."

"Yes, yes!"

"Even though he gets a little insane from time to time, it actually makes him look rather cute."

"Yes, yes!"

"I… Urgh!"

"Yes, yes, oh?"

Chapter 27: Great Bamboozler Xu

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

On the Chuyun Platform, in the main arena.

"Xu Xiaoshou!"

"Zhou Tianshen!"

Two tall and slender figures walked over under the light of the setting sun. Zhou Tianshen's waiting area wasn't far away from Xu Xiaoshou's. Their eyes met the moment they walked out of their respective waiting areas.

Xu Xiaoshou saw that his opponent was carrying a blade that was taller than he was. He also saw the desire to battle in his opponent's eyes and nodded with satisfaction.

It looked like his opponent wasn't going to admit defeat.

That was natural. Whoever won this match would advance to the top 16. Who would give up on that chance?

Zhou Tianshen was born with a handsome face. He had practiced the gold domineering blade technique for many years, and was charismatic, which gave him a youthful ferocity. Many female disciples squealed when he walked out.

In the arena, he gently stabbed his wide, tall, and golden blade into the ground. Then, he propped both of his hands on the blade's guard and lifted his head slightly.

"Acquired-stage Sword Will, Innate-stage physical body…

"Xu Xiaoshou, I, Zhou Tianshen, will admit that you're very powerful!

"In the Outer Yard, you're the only one who has the right to be ranked below me as rank five on the Windcloud Scoreboard!"

The audience was in an uproar. Several people were overwhelmed by Zhou Tianshen's cold, arrogant aura.

When Zhou Tianshen spoke, he left no room for doubt. Coupled with his abilities as the fighter ranked fourth on the Windcloud Scoreboard, he did seem exceptionally overbearing.

Xu Xiaoshou gave a calm smile.

For the first time, someone was provoking him first after taking the stage instead of him having to provoke them. It was exceptionally refreshing.

Without waiting for Xu Xiaoshou to speak, Zhou Tianshen continued and said, "But, my target this time is rank one."

"So, you have to submit to my blade!"

After saying this, Zhou Tianshen pulled out the golden blade from the ground and pointed it at Xu Xiaoshou. A boundless, pulsing Blade Will surged out of his blade.

Crack, crack!

The Blade Will ravaged the surroundings, and the area around the arena was ripped apart.

"Acquired-stage Blade Will!"

Everyone in the spectator seats instantly trembled, and all of them had looks of disbelief on their faces.

"When did Zhou Tianshen learn the Acquired-stage Blade Will? My God!"

"Judging from how well he can control it, he must have mastered it more than a year ago. Xu Xiaoshou's in danger this time.

"He could rival an Innate-stage fighter just with this Blade Will. I thought he was boasting when he said he was aiming for the top spot. But now it might…"

Xiao Qixiu was also startled. This person had hidden his abilities well. No one from the group stage or preliminary stage had forced him to use his full powers?

If it weren't for Xu Xiaoshou being his opponent, he could've hidden his Acquired-stage Blade will until after he reached the finals.

Xu Xiaoshou's calm smile stiffened. What was going on?

An Acquired-stage Blade Will?

And he can control it at will?

He remembered that his Fleeting White Cloud would instantly deplete his spiritual strength, while his opponent…

There was no such possibility!

However, he couldn't lose in terms of spirit, so Xu Xiaoshou twitched his lips into a smile and said, "Junior Zhou, don't be too overconfident."

Zhou Tianshen's lethal Blade Will suddenly halted, and everyone watching immediately burst out laughing.

"Hahaha, it looks like Xu Xiaoshou must be one of the oldest people in the Outer Yard!"

"One of the oldest? He is the last of his batch. Those more experienced than him have all already entered the Inner Yard, while those weaker than him wouldn't have been able to make it to the advancement stage!"

"That's right. Then isn't Xu Xiaoshou the most senior disciple in the Outer Yard?"

"In theory, that should be the case. However, in his three years at the Outer Yard, he never once showed his abilities. And he was almost kicked out of the Spirit Palace…"

"I don't know why he suddenly had such a showing. He's a true dark horse. It's like his body's been taken over by someone else!"

"Hahaha, you sure are funny. Taken over!"

"If we think about it that way, even strong fighters like Mo Mo and Zhao Qingteng are considered juniors in front of him… Haha, I can't stand it any longer. Look at Zhou Tianshen. His expression's darkened!"

Zhou Tianshen's expression had darkened, but his Blade Will had become much more lethal. Xiao Qixiu saw that the situation had reached its breaking point and immediately waved his arm.

"Battle, start!"

"Wait!" Zhou Tianshen said coldly while holding his blade horizontally, putting a damper on Xiao Qixiu's high spirits.

The crowd was curious. "Were these candidates negatively influenced by Xu Xiaoshou?" they thought. "Why are they all acting so strangely?

"Why is he talking instead of fighting?

"There's something I have to clarify before the battle starts," Zhou Tianshen said. "Even though Wen Chong was despicable for launching a sneak attack on you yesterday, you shouldn't have taken his life. You could've just lightly punished him, but you took such a merciless approach instead!"

He pointed his blade at Xu Xiaoshou, a righteous look in his eyes. "In my eyes, you're a despicable lowlife who'll never amount to anything great!"

Xu Xiaoshou wanted to wrap a coat around Zhou Tianshen. He said nonchalantly, "This is why you wanted to mock me before the battle? To conquer my mind before my body?"

Zhou Tianshen froze. He nearly choked, "I didn't intend to break your spirit before defeating you. I was merely stating facts!"

"Hehe, did you get close to the arena that day? Did you get a good look at the incident?

"You don't know anything," Xu Xiaoshou rambled on, "Yet you spouted nonsense and slandered me the moment you stepped into the arena. Will you be justified in killing me if I said I intentionally killed Wen Chong?"

"No, it's not like that!"

Zhou Tianshen was flustered. He shifted from side to side with his blade in hand. His face was red. He seemed to want to say something but didn't know what to say.

"That's enough!" Xu Xiaoshou shouted, shaking his head. His aura was imposing as he said, "I know what you're going to say next. You're going to say that I have a glib tongue!"

"No, I'm not!"

"Hehe, people like you always like to stand on a moral high ground and criticize others, yet you've never once thought that your so-called words of justice are the true blades that pierce a person's heart!"

Zhou Tianshen repeatedly stepped backward, and his eyes dimmed. His Blade Will had been completely overpowered by Xu Xiaoshou. He fiercely lifted his sword and straightened up his posture. He wasn't going to talk anymore.

"Why?" Xu Xiaoshou turned the tables and asked, "You speak when you're not supposed to and can't win in an argument against me after speaking. You can't even outtalk me, and now you want to attack me?"

Zhou Tianshen held his blade in his hand. He didn't know whether to attack Xu Xiaoshou or not. He was at a loss, and felt extremely embarrassed.

Xu Xiaoshou looked calm on the surface, but he was laughing maniacally on the inside. He'd already guessed that Zhou Tianshen was someone with a one-track mind.

He was a person who touted justice and was extremely passionate. He usually only saw things at face value or would frequently be used by other people after being misled. He was so dumb it was cute.

Everyone in the spectator seats was shocked. Xu Xiaoshou's words were not only the best reply he could've given to yesterday's events, but it also confused the thoughts of those still suspicious of him.

"Hng hng, that Xu Xiaoshou is so pitiful. I was wrong about him!"

"That detestable Zhou Tianshen is trash! Shameless! He wants to break Xu Xiaoshou's mind before defeating him!"

"Oh, f*! You guys must be mad. Isn't the one who's doing the spirit-breaking here Xu Xiaoshou?"

"My God, how can he say it like that? I nearly fell for his trick. Fight on, Zhou Tianshen! Don't be fooled by him! Cleave him with your blade!"

In the arena, Xu Xiaoshou saw that his opponent was hesitating and looked like he was about to admit defeat. He suddenly realized that he had gone a little too far, and he quickly spoke again.

"Junior Zhou, even though we can't always look at things at face value, as a Spiritual Cultivator you must never admit defeat once you step into an arena.

"You have to know this. Giving up before a battle is a great disrespect to one's opponent, and running away without battling is a humiliation to Spiritual Cultivators. Raising one's hands to surrender is a black stain on one's life!"

He flailed his sleeves and looked exceptionally charismatic. His words were spirited.

On the other side, Zhou Tianshen looked like a weight had been lifted from his chest. He grabbed onto his golden blade, his eyes blazing with the desire to battle once again. He clasped his hands and said, "Senior Xu, thank you for the lesson!"

Xu Xiaoshou nodded slightly, as though he did see Zhou Tianshen as a teachable student.

Xiao Qixiu was speechless.

Chapter 28: I Was Thinking the Same Thing!

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

Clank…

Xu Xiaoshou was almost sent flying backward when the golden domineering blade and Hiding Pain collided for the first time. His spirit power surged in his body, and he almost vomited blood.

"That felt great!" Zhou Tianshen laughed heartily. "Let's continue!"

Xu Xiaoshou looked confused. For the first time, he was at a disadvantage in terms of strength with his Innate-stage physical body, and his opponent had even stolen his lines.

How detestable!

"I can't take his attacks head-on…"

Xu Xiaoshou deliberated. His opponent's Acquired-stage Blade Will had to be a frontal-assault type technique, so with his weaknesses, he would definitely be defeated if faced with his opponent's strong suits.

He wanted to try fighting Zhou Tianshen with his Innate-stage Sharpen but was afraid he'd be cleaved in two with one strike, so he was forced to abandon the idea.

Since that was the case, he could only use his opponent's blade techniques to test out his Acquired-stage Sword Will.

Seeing the other party cleave toward him with brutal force, Xu Xiaoshou held onto Hiding Pain and thought about the countless techniques he'd gained while in the illusion of white clouds.

Those were killing techniques that he'd hidden deep inside his mind!

The golden blade was directly above Xu Xiaoshou's head. Xu Xiaoshou slanted his sword to defend against the attack but saw the golden domineering blade slice down along the body of his sword. He flicked his sword, and a fleeting yet weighty force fiercely pushed the golden domineering blade to the side.

Whoosh!

Xu Xiaoshou's sword sliced across the air in front of Zhou Tianshen's throat. Zhou Tianshen abruptly leaned backward, and the sword sliced off a few strands of his hair.

Zhou Tianshen followed through with the momentum and rolled on the ground. Then, he waved his domineering blade and caused a rich spiritual power to surge and slashed his blade down toward Xu Xiaoshou's knee.

Clang!

Xu Xiaoshou had stabbed Hiding Pain at the ground when he missed his opponent, and the sword accurately stabbed the area where the blade and guard of Zhou Tianshen's domineering blade connected and let out a loud buzz.

The two candidates looked at each other. They saw the passion in each other's eyes, and could almost see smoke in the air from how heated they were.

Xu Xiaoshou flexed his arms and instantly propelled the two of them apart.

The crowd cheered after the electrifying first bout, their blood racing with excitement as they observed the battle.

"It's here. Acquired-stage Blade Will vs Acquired-stage Sword Will!"

"My God, how harrowing. Zhou Tianshen would've had his throat sliced open, while Xu Xiaoshou would've had his knees severed if they'd been careless. This battle is going to get exciting."

"Definitely. Furthermore, they're both extremely quick to react. All advancement battles should be like this. I can't get used to those one-sided victories."

"That's right, that's right. These two have only been at it for a few seconds, but they've nearly died on several occasions."

The crowd was still talking excitedly when they saw that Zhou Tianshen was the first to steady his blade. However, he didn't attack. Instead, he laughed heartily and said, "Xu Xiaoshou, witness my Nine Tides!"

Nine Tides was a blade technique that unleashed a constant stream of cuts, each attack stronger than the last. If Zhou Tianshen managed to get a momentum going, there was no way Xu Xiaoshou would be able to defend against the attack if it was paired with the Acquired-stage Blade Aura that Zhou Tianshen could control at will.

He slowly raised his knife vertically, and the strength of his aura increased as he gradually brought the blade up.

On the other side, the young man wielding the sword was silent. He immediately closed his eyes, and a mysterious atmosphere seemed to engulf the arena. Even the debris in the air seemed to slow down.

This was a starkly different kind of battle. The blade and sword were keeping each other in check.

Crack, crack!

The arena under their feet gave way under the force of their techniques, and even the barrier started to violently tremble.

The spectators were sitting upright, their fingers laced. Even Xiao Qixiu was concentrating hard on the battle, his eyes squinted.

The rising tension reached a breaking point, and even the sky seemed to tremble.

The next second, Zhou Tianshen slashed down with his blade, and his Blade Will transformed into a wave and rose and fell as it advanced. On the other side, Xu Xiaoshou abruptly opened his eyes and slowly sliced his sword through the air. His attack was like a cloud in the sky, enveloping the entirety of Zhou Tianshen's wave.

Clang, clang, clang!

The crowd held its breath and saw the reality of the situation in the area between the two candidates.

Outline of sword and blade clashed wherever the wave and clouds crossed, and the sound of weaponry clashing was endless.

"My God, they're this powerful?" someone couldn't help but say.

A person to the side immediately scolded, "Stop talking. Shut your mouth!"

Xu Xiaoshou's robes rustled in the wind, and his hands became after-images. His attacks looked like they were slow as fleeting clouds, but in reality, his sword was dancing at a high speed.

Countless sword glows shot out from the body of Hiding Pain. This was Xu Xiaoshou's first time using the ninth-grade spiritual sword at full power, and his sword was buzzing excitedly with joy as it went all out to show off its strength.

However, Xu Xiaoshou still had to dodge from time to time to avoid the blade glows that his body couldn't handle, but even so, streaks of blood started appearing on his shirt.

"Got attacked. Passive Points 1."

"Got attacked. Passive Points 1."

His notification panel constantly updated. Zhou Tianshen's Blade Will was extremely powerful. Just a scrape from it caused Xu Xiaoshou immense pain, and it left a coursing power behind in the wound, which made it difficult for the average person to recover from the wounds it inflicted.

However, Xu Xiaoshou couldn't display the terrifying regenerative capabilities of Eternal Vitality.

The passive skill would immediately activate whenever a wound opened on his body, and the Blade Will that an average person couldn't easily get rid of would be healed on the spot.

Xu Xiaoshou was elated. He was in awe of the foundational passive skill. Its regenerative capabilities were top-notch.

It was different for Zhou Tianshen. He was practically an immobile weapon. He didn't move an inch, yet he was able to force Xu Xiaoshou back with just a few strokes.

"Hahaha, Xu Xiaoshou, you're out of moves, aren't you?!

"Once the Nine Tides gets going, I, Zhou Tianshen, will be able to defeat even an Innate-stage fighter, much less you and your mere Acquired-stage Sword Will!"

The Blade Will was completely overtaking Xu Xiaoshou, and he and his sword glows were about to be pushed out of the arena.

"Xu Xiaoshou, hang in there!"

"Stand your ground! Fight back! You can't let him push you out of the arena like that!"

"Hng hng hng, he's already covered in blood. Xu Xiaoshou, aaahhhh! I feel so bad for him!"

"Xiaoshou, stop trying to hang on. Come into my arms. I can't take it any longer. Why is there so much blood?"

Xu Xiaoshou was indeed covered in blood, but it only looked bad.

He was trying his best to survive with as little damage as possible under the barrage of blade glows. Thus, the injuries all over his body weren't fatal, and they didn't affect his mobility.

Furthermore, because Eternal Vitality was constantly activating, Xu Xiaoshou was practically in peak condition.

As he used his sword techniques, Xu Xiaoshou turned into a hungry sponge. He made use of the attacks that Zhou Tianshen was sending at him to practice the techniques in his mind, and nearly instantly understood the sword techniques that he'd never used in the past.

Seeing that he was about to be pushed out of the arena, Xu Xiaoshou no longer hesitated. He exchanged his Passive Points for two Skill Points and used them on Sword Technique Expertise.

"Sword Technique Expertise (Acquired Lv. 2)."

"Sword Technique Expertise (Acquired Lv. 3)."

In that instant, his mind was flooded with boundless knowledge. Xu Xiaoshou roared and moved around the flurry of blade glows. With one strike, he swiped away all of the Blade Will, then sprung his sword once again.

Boom!

An explosion sounded, and the barrier buzzed. Zhou Tianshen was shaken and sent staggering backward, his face filled with shock.

The crowd was confused. None of them understood what was going on.

"Xu Xiaoshou, he… achieved a breakthrough?"

"I think so. To think that he managed to retaliate while being beaten back by the powerful Blade Will. That last Sword Will looked like the second form of the White Cloud Sword Technique, Billowing Clouds!"

"But how do you explain the counterattack after he pulled his sword back? That wasn't the third stroke of the White Cloud Sword Technique."

"This… You're asking me, then who do I ask?"

Xu Xiaoshou had achieved a breakthrough. Di Xin'er had taught him this attack.

However, he'd never succeeded at using the second stroke of the White Cloud Sword Technique. Just now, in the middle of a tense situation, he'd managed to forcefully tweak the technique and push the White Cloud Sword Technique into a different direction.

Even though he'd been introduced to sword techniques with the Fleeting White Clouds, his current techniques were no longer that of the White Cloud Sword Technique.

Xiao Qixiu looked startled. That Xu Xiaoshou managed to modify a sword technique with his Sword Will during battle?

This wasn't even something that a master in the arts of the sword would dare to easily try, yet he'd managed to battle like that just with his Sword Will?

This was potential of unprecedented proportions!

Xu Xiaoshou looked as though he'd been bathed in blood. His clothes had been torn to shreds, revealing his already red body. Even his hair was covered in blood.

Even so, he cracked a smile and lifted his sword in invitation. "Junior Zhou, can you go faster? Don't stop!"

Zhou Tianshen was still angry and in shock from his Nine Tides being countered, and his expression turned fierce when he heard Xu Xiaoshou's words. He lifted his blade and laughed.

"I was thinking the same thing!"

Report chapter

Chapter 29: Poetic

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

As he said this, the Blade Will that had been ravaging the surroundings was absorbed into his golden domineering blade. Zhou Tianshen loosened his grip, and the domineering blade trembled as it emitted an incandescent brilliance.

Xu Xiaoshou's pupils dilated. "This guy still has some moves up his sleeve?"

He grabbed Hiding Pain, and the once unrestrained ninth-grade spiritual sword whimpered, looking incredibly indignant.

Xu Xiaoshou's expression darkened. He knew his Sword Will's current level wasn't high enough for him to be able to withstand Zhou Tianshen's attacks.

Without hesitation, he once again exchanged his Passive Points for three more Skill Points and used them all on the Sword Technique Expertise.

"Sword Technique Expertise (Acquired Lv. 6)."

In an instant, his mind was flooded with knowledge once again. He looked at the golden domineering blade Zhou Tianshen was loosely holding in his hand and seemed to understand something.

The next second, Xu Xiaoshou slowly gathered his Sword Will back into Hiding Pain, and he loosened his grip as it absorbed the boundless Sword Will into its blade.

Zhou Tianshen was confused.

The crowd was also dumbfounded when they saw the two candidates get into identical stances.

"What's going on? Xu Xiaoshou also knows Zhou Tianshen's blade technique?"

"How is that possible? Isn't the move Zhou Tianshen's using the opening strike of the Innate-stage spiritual technique 'Deity Mountain-Lifting Technique,' so how could Xu Xiaoshou know it?"

"Could he be learning the technique on the spot? My God, that's too creepy."

"Learning an Innate-stage spiritual technique on the spot? Are you kidding?"

Xu Xiaoshou didn't know what blade technique Zhou Tianshen was using, and he also couldn't produce the golden incandescent light that Zhou Tianshen was releasing. However, Zhou Tianshen's form did give him a stroke of inspiration for his newest attack…

"Fleeting White Cloud, Two!"

"Deity Mountain Lifting Technique!"

The two of them raised their weapons at the same time. As Zhou Tianshen raised his blade, he released a several-meters-tall golden blade glow. It pulsed with murderous intentions and directly ripped the arena apart as it slashed toward Xu Xiaoshou. There was nowhere for Xu Xiaoshou to run.

Strangely, Xu Xiaoshou didn't release anything when he raised his sword, as if he were merely moving it through the air.

The spectators' jaws dropped, and Xiao Qixiu felt his heart miss a beat.

"You put on such an act for so long only to move your sword?" he thought.

"You're going to die!"

He instinctively wanted to charge forward, but then he saw Xu Xiaoshou move his sword slightly when faced with the golden blade glow.

He slowly pulled Hiding Pain backward, and a powerful suction transformed the air into a vortex of clouds. Xu Xiaoshou's sword had casually pulled the lethal golden light to the side.

It wasn't over. Xu Xiaoshou turned and sent the golden light flying back at his opponent.

Zhou Tianshen was dumbfounded. "What kind of sorcery is this?" he thought. "To think that he managed to send my Innate-stage spiritual technique flying back at me!

His technique had almost depleted all of his spiritual strength, so he had no choice but to forcefully release another one of those attacks again. He dispelled the terrifying onslaught of the Deity Mountain-Lifting Technique with an attack of similar power.

The two golden glows clashed and made a loud explosion as they turned into countless golden scales and fell to the ground. Amidst the beautiful scene of falling gold, a figure moved toward Zhou Tianshen with his sword in hand.

Zhou Tianshen could no longer care about the battle. Xu Xiaoshou's sword technique was poetic, and there were no openings in his attack.

Such a divine sword technique shocked him. It was just as good as the techniques used by his grandfather, who had brought him onto the path of the swordsman when young.

"A sword can be used like that?"

"What about a blade?"

He lapsed into deep thought and forgot that he was in the middle of a battle.

Xu Xiaoshou had no choice but to forcefully stop his attack. His black sword stopped right before Zhou Tianshen's forehead. Even so, he still didn't have full control over his Sword Will. It slightly pierced his opponent's forehead, causing him to bleed.

Zhou Tianshen was still lost in thought!

Xu Xiaoshou was shocked. "This is a battle. Please show your opponent some respect, will you?" he thought.

He moved to put away his sword when an immense spiritual strength suddenly rose around Zhou Tianshen's body and pushed him away.

Everyone looked at the sky in shock. An infinite amount of spiritual strength was billowing into the arena and entering Zhou Tianshen's body. The sound was grand. It sounded like a deity was murmuring into their ears, and it made everyone more alert.

"Hah!"

Zhou Tianshen abruptly opened his eyes. His aura had risen from Spiritual Cultivation Level Ten to the Innate-stage, and with his shout, his Blade Will shot into the surroundings and shattered the barrier around the arena.

Xu Xiaoshou crawled on the ground, dazed. "What's going on?" he wondered. "He broke through to the Innate-stage while we were fighting?

"You cheated, didn't you?!"

But he didn't have time to think about it, and immediately stood up. Zhou Tianshen was already terrifying at Acquired-stage Level Ten. How powerful would he be now that he'd stepped into the Innate-stage?

Unexpectedly, Zhou Tianshen put away his sword after shouting and said respectfully, "Thank you for holding back, Senior Xu. I was too rash. I could tell that you were a gentleman when you pulled your sword back just now!"

Xiao Qixiu came to his senses and immediately waved his hand. "The battle is over. Xu Xiaoshou is the winner!"

Naturally, he knew that Zhou Tianshen wouldn't have survived, much less achieve a breakthrough, if Xu Xiaoshou hadn't pulled his sword back just now.

Of course, with him keeping an eye on things, that tragedy wouldn't have happened.

However, victories and defeats are just that—victories and defeats. In a real battle, there was no way an enemy would allow their opponent to achieve a breakthrough. This battle had ended the moment Xu Xiaoshou pulled his sword back.

Xu Xiaoshou held his black sword behind his back and smiled. He didn't comment on what Zhou Tianshen's said.

Zhou Tianshen's face was red. Before the battle, he'd boldly said that Xu Xiaoshou was a merciless man, and in the end, he was spared by the "merciless" Xu Xiaoshou. It was undoubtedly a great irony.

"Great!" His eyes flitted around, and he voiced the first thought that came to mind. He nodded heavily at Xu Xiaoshou and said, "I've decided. I, Zhou Tianshen, will definitely have you for a friend!"

Xu Xiaoshou waved his hand and left the arena. He didn't want to say anything more to this man with a one-track mind.

This battle was the most difficult one he'd had so far in the competition. The battle with Liu Zhen was difficult too, but this battle with Zhou Tianshen was different in the sense that he'd managed to get more out of it.

This was especially so for the cherry on top at the end that was the Fleeting White Cloud Two. Xu Xiaoshou hadn't even had the time to give the technique a name.

It had appeared just like that after his stroke of inspiration, and he'd used it like that. His becoming one with his sword, technique, and will was rather miraculous.

It was as though everything were fated. It was a comfortable feeling.

Even he himself was shocked when he'd used the technique. He had to quickly head back home to mull it over.

Zhou Tianshen had broken through to the Innate-stage and destroyed the barrier, and Xu Xiaoshou's notification panel was refreshing like crazy. However, Xu Xiaoshou didn't care about these things. All he wanted to do was go over his sword technique.

The spectators gave a thunderous applause. Some admired Xu Xiaoshou, some were shocked, however, most of them felt bad for Zhou Tianshen.

Everyone in the arena was considering the possibility that the outcome of the competition might've been completely different if Zhou Tianshen had managed to come to his senses earlier.

The only exception was chief judge Xiao Qixiu. He froze as he watched Xu Xiaoshou leave, unable to say a word.

He had announced the end of the competition a little too late just now not because he was waiting for Zhou Tianshen to admit defeat, but because he was truly startled by Xu Xiaoshou's sword technique.

It was poetic. It was the sword technique of a deity!

He had abandoned all thought of spiritual techniques and swordplay and battled purely with his Sword Will, taking his opponent's attacks with his reactions. Wasn't this form the most powerful form as described by the Eighth Sword Deity?

His eyes were filled with shock. Perhaps even Xu Xiaoshou didn't realize just how terrifying battling only with Sword Will really was.

However, he did. He saw the makings of someone who would slowly rise to become the most powerful swordsman.

He waved his arms to get the crowd to calm down and activated the screen once again.

"The competition continues!"

Chapter 30: Reverse Application of the Breathing Technique

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

Goose Lake.

Willows surrounded the area, and dense spiritual strength occupied the surroundings.

Xu Xiaoshou didn't blindly wander around here this time. He held his sword in his hand and closely examined the surroundings. He wanted to meet the old man with the straw hat and dark circles under his eyes again.

He was going to make that promise a reality if he saw that old man again.

However, unfortunately, he didn't manage to meet that old man, even after nightfall.

Goose Lake was a quiet place and was suitable for training. While he was waiting, Xu Xiaoshou reflected on his insights from using the sword technique in the afternoon.

After the appearance of Sword Technique Expertise, his talent for the way of the sword and his understanding of it had been forcibly raised by several levels. At such a high level, his potential for sword techniques also seemed to increase as the level of the passive skill increased.

He realized many things after calming down.

For example, he'd noticed many openings in his opponent's sword technique during his battle with Di Xin'er. Back then, he thought that Di Xin'er wasn't skilled in the way of the sword. However, now that he thought about it, it might've been him whose standards had far exceeded that of an average person.

Only that person with a one-track mind, uhh, Zhou Tianshen, who had also learned the Acquired-stage Blade Will, could pressure him in these realms that their wills created.

Xu Xiaoshou didn't have a mentor, so he could only mull over the technique and use his past experiences to understand Sword Will. However, the more he thought about it, the more he felt that purely battling with Sword Will seemed more reasonable and natural than fighting with a spiritual technique.

He stroked his chin and slipped into deep thought.

"Hm… It was probably an illusion. After all, I only know the first form of the White Cloud Sword Technique, so how could I determine which of the two approaches is stronger!"

He quickly abandoned the thought, even though it had overwhelming potential. He might have continued his research in that direction if a powerful swordsman had come to address his doubts.

However, he clearly didn't have that kind of opportunity.

In his dantian, the Infernal Fire Seed was like a suspended sun. It roasted his energy reserves until they were blazing red. In just a day, Xu Xiaoshou felt as though his spiritual strength had been ravaged beyond repair.

His scorching spiritual strength would sever his meridians every time he activated it.

It was like that even for him, who had an Innate-stage Physical Body. A person with an ordinary body would've died within a few seconds if he'd consumed the Infernal Fire Seed.

Correspondingly, his offensive capabilities had gotten much stronger. However, he had to injure himself to injure the enemy.

"I have to refine this item completely. Otherwise, my cultivation level will be destroyed, even if my physical body is fine with the help of Eternal Vitality," he thought to himself.

He glanced into his mind. Passive Points: 27899.

He had used 5000 Passive Points to upgrade Sword Technique Expertise during his battle with Zhou Tianshen in the afternoon, making his reserves dip to 5000 points.

However, after being roasted for three more hours, his Passive Points had once again skyrocketed to over 20000 points. Of course, the passionate crowd had also contributed some of these Passive Points.

The increase in Passive Points was naturally a good thing. However, the feeling of being burned from the inside out was excruciating. Xu Xiaoshou would rather head into the arena and get beaten up by 100 people for half a day than continue feeling like this.

Furthermore, he didn't know what kind of threat this item would have now that it was above his energy reserve.

"That detestable old man…"

He was determined. He was going to fully refine this item tonight.

Xu Xiaoshou took out two Red Gold Pills and pinched them in his hands. He thought about it, then purchased five Skill Points and threw them into the Breathing Technique.

"Breathing Technique (Acquired Lv. 6)."

Xu Xiaoshou didn't notice any change, even after the Breathing Technique leveled-up five times.

This was probably the only passive skill that didn't show any effects after it was upgraded.

However, he still instinctively shuddered when he saw the notification. In terms of how scary each of the techniques was, he was most afraid of the Breathing Technique.

Originally, he hadn't planned on upgrading the technique before reaching the Innate-stage. However, he was out of ideas. It'd be bad if the effects of the Red Gold Pills weren't enough when he refined the Infernal Fire Seed later.

Furthermore, his body had developed a resistance to the Red Gold Pills, as he'd been taking the medicine like crazy recently and no longer got that much of a high from them. This was why he dared to raise the level of the Breathing Technique by five in one go.

With these preparations made, Xu Xiaoshou tried to activate his spiritual strength for the first time to actively come into contact with the Infernal Fire Seed.

Creak…

His spiritual strength swarmed up like a tide. However, the spiritual strength got burned when it encountered the immense heat from the Infernal Fire Seed, and only a shred was left by the time it passed it by. Xu Xiaoshou seized the opportunity and used this shred of spiritual energy to draw the energy trapped within the fire seed out.

A scorching heat coursed through his body, and Xu Xiaoshou felt like he'd been struck by lightning. He shivered. He'd only drawn out a minute portion of the fire seed's energy, yet it instantly damaged his nerves and veins beyond recognition.

The Eternal Vitality showed its prowess once again, and Xu Xiaoshou was immediately restored to his previous state and didn't have to use the Red Gold Pill that he'd prepared.

Xu Xiaoshou was bleeding from every orifice and was in immense pain.

He drew out the energy from the fire seed and refined it, paying the price for it with the pain he felt from his body being destroyed only to instantly recover. He fused the seed's energy with his energy reserve and felt his spiritual strength undergo a qualitative change.

His ordinary spiritual strength seemed to have a little bit of a fire element to it now.

He had a shred of elemental power that was unique to Innate-stage fighters even though he was only at the Acquired-stage. Wouldn't he be able to beat an Innate-stage fighter as an Acquired-stage fighter if he managed to fully refine the seed?

Xu Xiaoshou slipped into deep thought.

It seemed like the detestable old man had had good intentions when he got him to swallow this item. His abilities would drastically improve if he managed to refine the Infernal Fire Seed.

Xu Xiaoshou calmed himself down. He felt that the process of refining the seed was too slow!

At this rate, it would take him more than two weeks to finally chip away at the Fire Seed.

He had been tortured by the item for the first half of the day. Now that he realized that he could refine the item, Xu Xiaoshou started to grumble about the speed of the process despite the pain.

This person really had guts.

He was actually able to remain silent, even though he was going through immeasurable pain during the refinement process, something an ordinary person wouldn't have been able to bear. He could actually clench his teeth and fight past the pain.

"How can I increase the speed…"

Xu Xiaoshou touched the blood on his face and looked at the geese playing in the water. He mulled over the question for a while.

He currently only had one way to refine the Infernal Fire Seed, which was to refine it using an ordinary training technique. The pain was ever-present, and its speed was extremely slow.

However, he used the Breathing Technique during his day-to-day training as a substitute for the ordinary training technique.

Since that was the case, could he refine the seed using the Breathing Technique?

"Breathing Technique…" Xu Xiaoshou softly muttered to himself, suddenly having a stroke of inspiration.

In the past, he'd used this fundamental passive skill as a training technique and to heal his wounds. However, the technique hadn't introduced itself as a training technique but as the most fundamental passive skill.

Perhaps there were other uses for the technique?

"Breathing Technique…

"Breathing…

"Breath…"

Xu Xiaoshou slapped himself on the head. If he took the name of the technique literally, his training and healing only required him to use the "inhalation" part of the Breathing Technique. He'd never used the "exhalation" part of the technique.

"Since I can use the power of inhalation to breathe in the properties of medicine into my energy reserves, can I use the power of exhalation to expel the energy within the Infernal Fire Seed from my body?"

Xu Xiaoshou was shocked by the idea. However, he felt that it was very possible.

He might as well try it!

He immediately adjusted his breathing. He took a deep breath and placed all of his attention on the Infernal Fire Seed. He imagined breathing normally, then held the thought of expelling the Infernal Fire Seed in his mind and let out a small breath.

Creak, creak, creak!

An immense scorching energy was pulled out from the Infernal Fire Seed and expelled through his bronchial tubes and mouth. The energy passed through his body like lava, making his muscles feel like magma.

Xu Xiaoshou immediately coughed out a mouthful of blood, and the scorching energy instantly spewed out of his nose and mouth. During the process, he felt as though his throat had melted, and he nearly died on the spot.

However, he had Eternal Vitality. He quickly picked up the Red Gold Pill in his hand and took a deep breath to stabilize his breathing.

"Oh, f*!"

Xu Xiaoshou became flustered a second after he finished taking a whiff of the pill.

He saw the Red Gold Pill between his fingers suddenly transform into vapor, and the pure scorching energy that he'd just released once again entered his body through his nose.

Under the clear moonlight, on the other side of Goose Lake, the old man wearing a straw hat, who was sitting properly on a willow tree, trembled and nearly fell from his branch.

"Does that lad want to lose his life?"

Report chapter