Chapter 19

Xu Xiaoshou was stunned!

The referee was stunned!

The audience, who had just been boiling with excitement and shouting warnings, was also stunned!

Even Xiao Qiuxiu, who was floating in the air, was somewhat dazed. The battle had clearly ended, and he had turned his attention to other arenas.

He never expected that a single glance back would reveal such a dire situation.

Recalling his words before the match, the referee was also momentarily lost in thought. Had his words become a self-fulfilling prophecy?

The scene was frozen in place!

Wen Chong's lips twitched, as if he wanted to say something, but only a stream of blood gushed out. He stared with wide eyes, unable to utter a single word.

The ferocity in his eyes had not yet faded, but it had already turned to disbelief.

He looked down and saw Xu Xiaoshou's hand piercing through his heart. Because it had gone all the way through, he could only see the elbow, stained with his own blood, a ghastly red.

A hand?

Piercing through the chest?

How could this be possible…

The veins at the corners of Wen Chong's eyes bulged, a result of the intense pain.

He looked at Xu Xiaoshou, his eyes full of confusion, as if seeking an answer.

Xu Xiaoshou could even feel the rhythmic pressure on his forearm, thump, thump…

"Save him!"

He shouted, unsure whether to pull his hand out or leave it in.

How could this happen?

Xu Xiaoshou was in a panic. He had never thought of killing anyone, and he certainly never expected Wen Chong to really attack him.

His instinctive reaction was just because he trusted the passive system's warning. He never thought Wen Chong would rush to his own death.

"Why did you do this!"

Xu Xiaoshou roared, pulling out a red-gold pill and forcing it into Wen Chong's mouth. Wen Chong seemed to shake his head, but the movement was so slight it was almost imperceptible.

His lips parted slightly, never closing again.

"Eat it!"

Xu Xiaoshou used his left hand to lift Wen Chong's chin, trying to help him absorb the pill's power. But when he let go, the pill slipped out and fell to the ground.

Thud, thud…

He watched the golden-red pill roll away quietly, realizing that something else might have been lost with it.

The referee walked over, pulling Xu Xiaoshou's hand out of Wen Chong's chest, and said calmly, "It's no use, he's dead!"

Xu Xiaoshou was shaken to his core. Dead?

Even for a Spirit Refiner, life could be so fragile, ending with a single stab?

Seeing Xu Xiaoshou's state, the referee sighed and patted his shoulder, as if offering comfort.

"Is this your first time killing someone?"

"Get used to it!"

He pulled the dagger from Xu Xiaoshou's shoulder and handed him a bottle of pills, as compensation for the red-gold pill he had taken earlier.

"Don't worry, this isn't your fault. He attacked first, and any blame lies with my negligence."

"You're fine, go back and rest. I'll take care of the rest."

Xu Xiaoshou was dazed, glancing at Wen Chong in the referee's arms, he said nothing, covering his shoulder and silently walking off the arena.

The audience, seeing his dejected figure, dared not make a loud noise for a moment.

"Is he really dead?"

"This must be the first kill in the outer court in over a decade?"

"Yes, in the past, both the referee and the contestants were more aware. This time, it was really unexpected… Leader Wen, too impulsive!"

"Xu Xiaoshou… my goodness, I feel so sorry for him…"

Some supported Xu Xiaoshou, but they were in the minority. Most were against him.

"I can't stand it, how can Xu Xiaoshou look so wronged after killing someone?"

"Leader Wen died so unjustly! The referee hadn't called the end, and he acted within the rules. How could Xu Xiaoshou be so ruthless?"

"Strongly suggest kicking Xu Xiaoshou out of the competition, disgusting!"

"Agreed, in a same-gate competition, to use such a cruel hand, he's a beast!"

Those who supported Xu Xiaoshou immediately became angry, standing up to refute: "Nonsense!"

"Anyone with eyes can see that Wen Chong lost. If Xu Xiaoshou had used a spirit sword, could Wen Chong have defended himself? He was already holding back!"

"Wen Chong's sneak attack failed, and he was pierced in return. Xu Xiaoshou even fed him a pill. What a precious quality, can't you see?"

Those who supported Wen Chong sneered: "The referee hadn't called the end, Wen Chong acted within the rules; in contrast, Xu Xiaoshou is inhumane!"

"Go to hell, you nitpicker, come over here!"

"What, you want to bite me?"

"Ugh!"

"Damn, let go… let go!"

…

Goose Lake.

The blue sky was reflected in the water, and the fat geese played among the thin clouds.

This was the breathtaking scenery of the outer court of the Tian Sang Spirit Palace, surrounded by weeping willows. The lake was encircled by a white jade railing in the shape of a heart, and the water was crystal clear, radiating with spiritual energy.

Swimming in the lake were the spirit geese raised by Elder Qiao, with very tender meat. Xu Xiaoshou had been fortunate enough to taste a few bites.

In the past, many people came to Goose Lake to practice, but recently, due to the "Feng Yun Zhen Ba," few visited, making the place quite peaceful.

Xu Xiaoshou stood by the railing, his eyes filled with loneliness.

He didn't return to his courtyard but came to this place where he often practiced swordsmanship.

For the first time, after winning a battle, he felt no excitement, not even bothering to check his passive value.

In a daze, he left the arena, left Chuyun Peak, and wandered here on his own.

The sun was setting, and Xu Xiaoshou had been standing there for a long time.

He threw a stone into Goose Lake, causing ripples that soon calmed down.

"Perhaps, in this world, life is like this stone. No matter how big, once it sinks into Goose Lake, it doesn't create much of a splash!"

Xu Xiaoshou exhaled, touching his right forearm, as if feeling Wen Chong's last heartbeat again.

Regret?

No!

Xu Xiaoshou did not regret accidentally killing Wen Chong, or rather, he was prepared for it.

In this world, killing was destined to become a norm.

Perhaps it wasn't obvious in the Tian Sang Spirit Palace, but Xu Xiaoshou wasn't that naive. This was just the beginning.

What he felt was a sense of sympathy and contemplation for the fragility of life.

Perhaps to the people on this continent, life was insignificant; perhaps in the future, he would see it the same way.

But at this moment, Xu Xiaoshou was still unable to calm down.

In the endless torment of the white hospital room in his past life, he still clung to the desire to live. One could say that Xu Xiaoshou valued life more than most people in this world.

And now, he had personally destroyed such a precious life.

He was prepared, but who could remain unmoved when it actually happened?

He was Leader Wen, but in Xu Xiaoshou's eyes, he was just a somewhat talented, somewhat arrogant younger brother.

Although he attacked him, he might not have intended to kill. After all, he only stabbed Xu Xiaoshou's shoulder, right?

Perhaps…

He wasn't meant to die?

Xu Xiaoshou shook his head, dispelling the absurd thought.

If you dare to act, you must be prepared to bear the consequences, even if those consequences are too heavy for anyone to bear!

These words were both for the deceased Wen Chong and a warning to his future self.

In the distance, the sun was completely swallowed by the mountains on the horizon, and the sky grew dark, everything returning to silence.

Suddenly, a wave of spiritual energy rippled through Goose Lake, startling the fat geese and causing the willows to sway gently.

Xu Xiaoshou's breathing quickened, and he unconsciously broke through to the Seventh Spirit Refining Realm.

"Ha!"

He suddenly grabbed a handful of stones, his killing intent overflowing, and threw them at the fat geese in a fit of rage.

Splash, not a single one hit.

Xu Xiaoshou sighed softly.

Finally, he had killed someone!