A Showpiece Saint

By the time the billowing dust was swept away by the violent wind pressure, the ground beneath Xu Yuan's feet had turned into a massive crater. Clattering wood splinters and rubble rolled across the mess, leaving not the slightest trace of what had once been a marketplace. This strike could be considered a success. The disparity between the Transcendent Realm and a Saint was immense: the disparity in Source Qi, the disparity in physical constitution, and the disparity in saint origin. Yet none of these gaps were so vast as to be insurmountable. In recorded history, there had been more than one instance of Transcendents surrounding and slaying a Saint. Meticulous preparation, coordinated teamwork, and elemental counter-affinity could all serve as bargaining chips for a Transcendent to strike up and slay a Saint. Looking down at Mu Xingyi struggling in disarray to stand within the crater, Xu Yuan, suspended in midair, thought to himself as his calm voice echoed through the surrounding darkness: "If you still don't have Madame Wan and your son show themselves, you really might just die right here." "..." No answer came from the crater, only an ear-grating rustle. Mu Xingyi's method of maintaining a human form was not the shape-shifting technique of the demon race; rather, he had forcibly crammed the torso of an insectman beneath a human hide. And the attack just now had made it impossible for him to sustain his human appearance. His body split open along the thread-fine fissures on its surface, countless slender leg-blades probing outward from within, while pairs of compound insect eyes spiraled into growth across his skin. Seeing the other's hideous true form, Xu Yuan's brows twitched slightly. It seemed Mu Xingchen hadn't lied. The Insect Saint was a creature devoid of an intent soul; the ways it observed its surroundings were solely through sight, through hearing, and through the synesthesia of its myriad insect swarms. Judging from the situation before him, Mu Xingyi, who had devoured the Insect Saint, appeared to be the same. With his conjecture verified, a slight smile curved at the corners of Xu Yuan's lips. Not everyone in this world had experienced the Meishen illusory realm like Xu Yuan; wielding newly acquired power as easily as one's own limbs took time. As a former cultivator, it was all the more impossible for Mu Xingyi to adapt to this power belonging to an ancient beast in such a short span of time. After fully transforming into his insectman form, Mu Xingyi drew upon the boundless saint origin within him to heal his bodily injuries while locking one of his eyes onto Xu Yuan. His originally gentle, serene voice became raspy and sharp: "My life is not something you need to concern yourself with, Brother Xu..." Before his voice could fade, Mu Xingyi saw the corners of the man's lips curl upward in midair. The very next instant, A dazzling burst of brilliant white light suddenly erupted from beneath Mu Xingyi's feet, radiating in all directions! Through the city defense canopy torn open by the leg-blade, the trio with the White Emperor looked down on everything within the city. They had watched Mu Xingyi descend into the city, watched Mu Xingyi slash toward Xu Changtian, and watched Mu Xingyi land himself in dire straits. Amid the silence high in the sky, the White Emperor suddenly turned toward the hunched old man beside him: "Qin Ke, is this Insect Saint playing a joke on us?" "..." The hunched old man had naturally been watching everything in the city as well. Hearing the question, the corners of his mouth twitched. He remained silent for a long moment before finally squeezing out a sentence: "Er... perhaps it did this deliberately?" As soon as the words left his mouth, the hunched old man realized he didn't even believe them himself, so he pivoted: "That Xu Changtian is indeed rather strange. To be able to evade a Saint's attack while at the Bodily Fusion Realm... and I couldn't even tell what means he used." A trace of disdain showed in the White Emperor's eyes, and he exhaled: "Isn't that just because this Insect Saint is too weak? Full of cultivation yet with nowhere to vent its force. It seems this mortal realm truly does have such showpiece Saints." The hunched old man frowned for a moment, then chuckled: "A showpiece Saint is still a Saint. As long as their Saint doesn't intervene, he likely won't be killed. Mu Xingyi should have inherited the previous Insect Saint's saint origin, and you ought to know how vast the saint origin within an ancient beast is." The White Emperor's voice was low and calm: "Do you think Xu Yinhe's offspring wouldn't know that? He dared to use Source Crystals of that magnitude as an offensive weapon rather than to reinforce the city-protecting array, which already proves his judgment of the overall situation is remarkably precise." The hunched old man pondered for a moment, then curled his lips into a sinister smile: "This Xu Changtian is, after all, the designated heir handpicked by that kid Xu Yinhe. He naturally possesses some ability. But you need not worry, White Emperor. The three Saints down there are merely our bargaining chips to flush out the Prime Minister's Manor's Saint. You wouldn't want to take a sudden sword strike from Feng Jiuxuan off-guard, would you?" Hearing this, a thoughtful look appeared in the White Emperor's indifferent gaze: "It seems you didn't inform them of the Xuankong Ring." "At least this Qin informed you. Therefore, I hope Your Excellency White Emperor will not harbor any rift between us." "I have long grown accustomed to the deceit of your kind. Aren't you afraid the three Saints below will harbor resentment?" "On this point, this old man believes you and I share the same stance." The hunched old man did not deny it. Staring at the three Saints below, he gave a superficial smile and said, "It is best if this world has fewer unattached Saints with no ties, is it not?" The White Emperor did not dwell on the topic, instead speaking coolly: "Just because they don't understand martial dueling doesn't mean they don't understand where their interests lie. If you still refuse to act, you will break your promise to those three. Once a rift forms, unexpected complications are bound to arise." The hunched old man heard the implied meaning behind the words. The White Emperor was not concerned about the safety of the three Saints below. Saying this was merely to force these Great Yan Saints to step forward from behind the scenes. However, unless absolutely necessary, they would never enter the fray. The hunched old man shook his head and gave an unhurried laugh: "Those words are mistaken. At present, only the Insect Saint is in peril, while the other two Saints haven't even acted yet. How can there be any talk of breaking promises?" Hearing these evasive words, a dangerous look appeared in the White Emperor's eyes: "It seems you truly have great confidence in their strength, Qin Ke, to the point of believing they alone can take Zhenxi Prefectural City." With that, the White Emperor simply closed his eyes, no longer watching the battle below. Seeing this attitude, the hunched old man glanced rather helplessly at Tianyuan, inquiring for her opinion with his eyes. The White Emperor was no pawn to be manipulated at will. If they, the Great Yan Saints, did not show themselves, he would not make another move—even if it ultimately caused the operation to fail, he would never step in. After feeling the gaze beside her for a breath, not a single emotion stirred on Tianyuan's divinely indifferent face. She said crisply: "White Emperor, once those three flush out the Prime Minister's Manor's Saint, I will step in to spearhead the attack." "Are you certain?" The White Emperor opened his eyes halfway. "The Pavilion Master is different from this old man; she never jokes," the hunched old man replied with an odd laugh. The White Emperor glanced at him: "I meant, are you certain those three can flush out the Prime Minister's Manor's Saint?" "Er..." The hunched old man hesitated, but after glancing at the ghostly youth hidden in the shadows below, he still smiled: "They should be able to. "White Emperor, you shouldn't be able to see through that youth's aura either, right?"