Chapter 82

Sang Lao is such a person; those who don't catch his eye, their life and death are irrelevant to him.

Those who do catch his eye, he will treat as a precious treasure, and no one can take them away.

Just like the value of the nine elders and Xu Xiaoshou in his eyes...

Well, there's no comparison.

Seeing the youth silent, the old man, holding a straw hat, turned to Xiao Qixiu and said, "The capture plan failed tonight. The masked man's strength exceeded our imagination. After killing two inner courtyard disciples, he retreated calmly."

He paused for a moment and said, "Just announce it like this."

Xiao Qixiu was stunned and looked at Ye Xiaotian.

Ye Xiaotian looked at Sang Lao in shock, seemingly unable to recover from his bizarre actions.

Sang Lao chuckled, "If you want to reattach this arm, just nod."

Ye Xiaotian: "..."

He clutched his severed arm, the wound had long stopped bleeding, but without a high-level alchemist, he might be like this forever.

Ye Xiaotian fell into deep thought.

Then, Xu Xiaoshou watched as the floating white-haired Daoist child gently nodded.

"Alright."

Xiao Qixiu could only nod gloomily.

Xu Xiaoshou was completely shocked. The legendary fair and impartial Grand Elder of the Spirit Law Pavilion was taken down with just one word?

Is this what power and status are?

It's simply too delightful!

Xu Xiaoshou was overjoyed, realizing that the matter of him killing someone tonight would probably be swept under the rug.

Actually, it makes sense. If he were to argue, he could stand his ground, but it's better to avoid trouble.

Who would want to go through the punishment platform of the Spirit Law Pavilion?

Xiao Qixiu didn't dwell on such trivial matters. He looked at Sang Lao with the same excited light as before.

"So..."

"The masked man just now was..."

Sang Lao looked at the new flesh growing on his chest and said, "Haven't you already tasted it? You have the answer, yet you still ask me?"

"Is it really him?"

"Mm-hmm."

Xu Xiaoshou was confused by the two's cryptic conversation and asked, "So who is it?"

Six pairs of eyes instantly pierced him like knives, and Xu Xiaoshou took a few steps back.

"Aren't you the one who asked me to stay here? You're gossiping together and excluding me..." he said weakly.

The three were puzzled. What gossip?

Sang Lao patted Xu Xiaoshou's shoulder, "Focus on your cultivation. These things are not for you to know yet."

"Okay."

Xu Xiaoshou's curiosity about the masked man grew even more.

This guy is clearly a sword cultivator, and even walked the path of pure sword intent, but...

He recalled the discouraging tone of the person when they first met, which didn't seem fake, as if this path really couldn't be taken.

But if it can't be taken, how could he be so strong?

One person against the entire Heavenly Mulberry Spirit Palace?

Xu Xiaoshou felt his heart itch, the answer to the mystery was right in front of him, but no one was willing to reveal it to him.

How frustrating!

"Alright, everyone disperse."

Sang Lao shook his head, looking at the sky. The sky was already bright, and the air was incredibly fresh after the rain.

Xiao Qixiu took his leave, but Ye Xiaotian stared at Xu Xiaoshou, making him feel puzzled.

"Are you the champion of this year's 'Struggle for the Wind and Clouds'?" a child's voice asked.

Xu Xiaoshou nodded woodenly, not knowing what he was up to.

"Starting tomorrow, you can enter the inner courtyard."

"???"

What's going on?

The inner courtyard that he couldn't enter no matter what, is now settled with just one word?

Sang Lao rolled his eyes and slapped Ye Xiaotian's head, and the white-haired Daoist child immediately looked at him with a pained expression.

"Inner courtyard? Go back and tell those old fossils that Xu Xiaoshou doesn't need to enter the inner courtyard!"

I do need to!

Xu Xiaoshou screamed in his heart, but he was a bit confused and decided to observe for a moment.

The white-haired Daoist child glared at Sang Lao and then left.

What...

The...

Xu Xiaoshou staggered, so is he in or not?

Can't you give a clear answer?

This is really frustrating!

"Ye Xiaotian, be more decisive in the future. I've told you this many times!" Sang Lao shouted as the white-haired Daoist child slowly flew away.

Ye Xiaotian waved his severed arm, signaling him not to forget the treatment, and then disappeared.

Xu Xiaoshou retracted his gaze and realized that only he and Sang Lao were left.

He felt a bit frustrated.

Why is it always Goose Lake and this old man?

Painful memories resurfaced.

"Should I go back then?" he asked tentatively.

"You can't leave yet."

Sang Lao's usual sly smile was gone, and his expression became very serious, "I have a story to tell you."

He walked ahead, and Xu Xiaoshou took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to run away, and followed.

"The Holy Divine Continent has five domains. In the distant Central Domain, there is a 'Holy Palace,' which is the holy land of all spirit cultivators on the continent." Sang Lao walked with his hands behind his back, his eyes full of longing.

Xu Xiaoshou nodded. He only knew that he was in the Eastern Domain, Sword God Heaven, where sword cultivators were predominant.

He had only a basic understanding of the other four domains.

As for the 'Holy Palace,' he had never heard of it.

"There is a lake in the Holy Palace, similar to the Goose Lake in front of us, but twice as large."

Sang Lao pointed to the Goose Lake inside the white jade railing, where the water had evaporated by more than half, and slowly said, "It's called 'Great Goose Lake.'"

Xu Xiaoshou: "..."

"By the Great Goose Lake, a young man often appeared. He was about your age and liked to train his body in such a peaceful place."

"Not long after, his innate physical body was formed."

Xu Xiaoshou's steps faltered, looking at the back of the old man with the straw hat, seemingly understanding something.

"One night, an old bald monk appeared and forcibly fed him the 'Ashen Flame Seed.'"

"Yup, at that time, he resisted."

Xu Xiaoshou's face darkened. Wasn't this talking about himself?

Could it be that the young Sang Lao was fed the flame seed and is now taking revenge on him?

He continued to listen.

"One month later, his innate physical body was indeed burned to waste!"

"The old bald monk appeared again, fed the young man another flame seed, and gave him a cultivation technique."

"Jinzhao Tianfen?" Xu Xiaoshou clenched his fists. This guy was worse off than him, his innate physical body was wasted and he still had to eat the flame seed, wasn't that a dead end?

"Right!" Sang Lao nodded, "The old bald monk told the young man, 'Do you hate me? If you hate me, cultivate this technique and defeat me.'"

"The young man had no choice, and with hatred, he practiced this technique, working extremely hard. In one year, he re-entered the realm of the innate physical body."

"Three days later, he achieved the Master's Body!"

"Only then did he realize that he had unknowingly broken the barrier that the continent's legends said the innate physical body could not break through to the Master's Body."

"The whole process took only one year."

Xu Xiaoshou was speechless, the story's development was completely unexpected.