"So this is why he turned into an idiot?"
Nangong Shirong asked with a strange expression, gazing at Guan Changge, who had reappeared but was now giggling nonstop like an addled child.
"Indeed." Xu Bai nodded. "Most of his divine sense is immersed in comprehending the Dao of the sword and refuses to return. There was nothing I could do about it..."
"Cough, cough..." Xu Bai could not help giving a light cough.
Having had a portion of his body devoured by the Wuliang Wall, he distinctly felt a wave of frailty wash over him. It was as though a piece of his essence, energy, and spirit had been drawn away, leaving an overall "deficiency."
*It seems somewhat similar to my divine ability Silk Pulling, but Silk Pulling is more akin to a process of physical breakdown. This, on the other hand, is like having a part of one's body shaved away...*
Comprehending a divine ability again on the spur of the moment, Xu Bai looked somewhat dazed.
Assuming he was heavily injured from his time in the Wuliang Wall, Nangong Shirong advised, "It is fine, you did your best. If the Guan lad refuses to come out on his own, there is nothing we can do either.
"Besides, with his physical body intact, it is enough to give old Guan an account. Go rest for now; leave what follows to me. I'd like to see whether Guan Xingxiu will still be as affectionate and protective when faced with this addlepated fool." After telling Xu Bai to rest, Nangong Shirong let out a cold sneer.
Xu Bai acknowledged the order and withdrew, but his mind remained entirely submerged in the enlightenment of the divine ability.
Others simply assumed his distraction was due to his injuries and paid it no mind.
Returning to Tianliang City, ten days slipped by in the blink of an eye.
"Good. This newly comprehended divine ability stands opposite to Silk Pulling. It can be named..."
"Life Severing."
Xu Bai awoke from his sudden enlightenment. A brilliant gleam flashed through his eyes, and he looked toward a bird passing overhead outside the window.
Without any warning, the bird locked in Xu Bai's gaze plummeted from the sky as if it had lost all control.
Only after frantic fluttering did it barely regain its balance in midair.
Yet compared to before, its flight was noticeably slower.
Xu Bai withdrew his gaze with satisfaction.
"Severing a living being's life without a trace. Compared to Silk Pulling, its casting is far more covert. Moreover, it takes effect in an instant, making it difficult for outsiders to detect—they will only assume their bodies have fallen weak for no apparent reason.
"Even better, it can be employed alongside Silk Pulling, collapsing both the inner and outer states at once. In a single breath, it can snuff out an opponent's life and cultivation.
"Combined, they shall be called Silk Pulling, Life Severing."
...
Xu Bai exhaled a long breath and slowly stood up.
As the saying went, carrying a weapon naturally stirred thoughts of slaughter. With his divine ability advancing another step, an urge to find someone to test it on flared up within Xu Bai for an instant.
Yet before he could act upon it,
that desire dispersed into nothingness on its own.
Xu Bai's eyes narrowed, catching onto something unusual.
It was worth noting that this clone had not practiced the Xuanhuang Immortal Heart Incantation. If such a thought had arisen within his original self, it would have taken a considerable amount of time to resolve it.
Yet just now...
Xu Bai recalled the scene not long ago within the Wuliang Wall, where he had watched Guan Changge choose death just to comprehend the Dao, and how pity and lamentation had actually welled up in his heart.
That was something completely impossible for his true self.
Given Li Fan's temperament, he would have only thought Guan Changge was courting his own death and making a fool of himself.
*Is this an influence brought by this body?*
Xu Bai narrowed his eyes.
*To enjoy the benefits of top-tier comprehension that far exceeds the norm, must one also bear changes in temperament?*
*Xu Ke, Mr. Bai...*
...
Since his original self possessed the Xuanhuang Immortal Heart Incantation, the clone did not dwell excessively on the matter.
Leaving the detached courtyard where he had been resting, he inquired about the aftermath of Guan Changge's disappearance, only to notice something quite peculiar.
Because Nangong Shirong had successfully brought the person before him, Guan Xingxiu could no longer use the incident to make trouble.
Yet Guan Xingxiu's subsequent actions gave everyone in Tianliang Province, who had been waiting for a good show, quite a shock.
Right in front of Nangong Shirong and the rest of the cultivators, Guan Xingxiu summoned his Falling Star Flying Sword and struck down Guan Changge, who had been drooling and giggling in a daze.
"Such an unsightly spectacle is truly a disgrace to your mother's illustrious name. It is better that you die early. In eighteen years, I shall seek you out once more." Guan Xingxiu had spoken with chilling detachment before swinging his sword.
Golden sword Qi crisscrossed, leaving behind not a shred of flesh or blood. Guan Changge was reduced to ash and smoke on the spot.
The cultivators of Tianliang Province were stunned by Guan Xingxiu's ruthless decisiveness.
Nangong Shirong's expression had stiffened as well, and he offered a perfunctory condolence.
Guan Xingxiu, however, gave him no face at all and tore straight through the sky, departing without another word.
Though displeased, Nangong Shirong let out a long sigh of relief, glad to have finally sent that harbinger of misfortune away.
What followed, however, left Xu Bai somewhat puzzled.
No matter how one looked at it, he was the chief contributor to resolving this crisis. Yet Nangong Shirong acted as if he had forgotten him entirely. Over the past ten days, let alone any commendation, there had not even been a word of inquiry.
On the contrary, the trio led by Yan Yiqiu, who had merely tagged along for the ride and repeatedly annoyed Nangong Shirong, received some rewards.
Xu Bai replayed the numerous details of his conduct throughout the matter, pondering what could have gone wrong.
After a long time, understanding finally dawned on him.
There had been no flaw; from start to finish, his performance had been flawless.
Yet that was precisely the biggest problem.
Knowing full well that the Wuliang Wall posed the danger of swallowing a cultivator at any moment, he had stepped forward without hesitation to probe it first.
Within mere moments, he had found a way to enter the Wuliang Wall and had even brought Guan Changge back.
...
It was too perfect.
If the one who did all this were a cultivator whom Nangong Shirong had personally nurtured and knew inside out, Nangong Shirong would undoubtedly have been thrilled.
But one could not forget that Xu Bai was of unknown background and had joined halfway through.
Nangong Shirong was hardly the sort to believe that a few simple words would earn someone's heartfelt devotion.
Thus, Xu Bai's selfless exertion and risking of his life had instead aroused his suspicion.
*So it was a case of being outsmarted by one's own cleverness.* Xu Bai shook his head inwardly.
Still, he did not pay it much mind.
Afterward, he simply performed his duties conscientiously.
He would occasionally grumble to his peers about the unfairness he had suffered.
When these words reached Nangong Shirong's ears, his suspicion gradually waned.
Even so, Nangong Shirong had not let down his guard entirely. Xu Bai merely pretended to be oblivious, carrying on as usual.
Time flew by.
Two years later, Anchor Year 22.
Within the Valley of Longevity.
The Dissociation Disc in Li Fan's hand erupted with a burst of dazzling white light.
Innumerable formation talismans surged continuously from the Dissociation Disc, shifting at blistering speed.
When the white light finally faded, Li Fan keenly noticed that his Dissociation Disc had grown a size larger.
*The first loser in the contest among the nine discs has appeared,* Li Fan mused to himself.
Before he had the chance to carefully study the sublimated Dissociation Disc, Fang Zaiji's wildly excited shout suddenly rang out.
"Sect Master, I have finally figured out how to use this End Stone Platter!"
An Eye of Shared Sight flew before Li Fan, darting up and down incessantly, tracing out arcs of golden light.
Chapter 740