Chapitre 19: Entering the Trap, Not Losing the Entire Game
Beyond Changde Town, in the barren wilderness.
Hell's Lord White Sin, a fearsome entity, commanded a group of spectral minions that kept a vigilant watch over Xi. Despite being conscious, Xi hadn't fully awoken, using the lingering spirits in the ghost town to observe from afar. He had seen the Divine Puppet shattered and Hallmaster Dao sent flying by Kui Leihan's overwhelming power.
"So, this is the combat strength of one of the Ten High Nobles," Xi mused, deeply awestruck but hesitant to act.
Even though Xi had regained consciousness, he was reluctant to get involved. He knew that if he stirred, Hallmaster Dao would undoubtedly summon him to join the white-clothed people in surrounding Kui Leihan, and Xi wanted no part of it. His experience within the Transformation Division had taught him the value of discretion, and a healthy dose of political pragmatism had replaced his once unwavering obedience.
As he pondered, Xi's thoughts turned to the three figures who stood out as the most formidable threats: The Divine, Bazhun'an, and now, Kui Leihan. None of them were demi-saints, but their strength surpassed even ordinary demi-saints. The Holy Divine Palace would struggle to mount an effective defense if these three ever joined forces. Xi realized that only the full might of the Council of Ten, the pinnacle of the Holy Divine Palace's power, might stand a chance against them.
But even then, would it be enough?
"Water Ghost, Ye Xiaotian, Senior Wei Feng, and the others… They're strong, but not enough. Elder Yan is gone, and the Divine Oracle was taken down by Xu Xiaoshou on Abyss Island."
Xi sighed, his thoughts darkening. "That leaves Yue Gongli, the newly appointed red-clothed ruler, Elemental Divine Envoy Zhong Yuanzi, and Kun Peng God Elder Yu. Together, they could stand against them, but it's still too close to call."
Then a thought hit him, freezing him in his tracks: "Lord Cangsheng… He's part of the Ten High Nobles as well. He could keep an eye on The Divine while Hallmaster Dao focuses on Bazhun'an. But what if Xu Xiaoshou convinces Kui Leihan to join the Saint Servants? That would tip the balance completely!"
The realization sent a shiver down Xi's spine. If Xu Xiaoshou managed to persuade Kui Leihan, even the Holy Emperor could be dragged into the conflict, and the Saint Servants must have planned for such an eventuality.
"Qilin…" Xi muttered, remembering the failed attempt to capture Xu Xiaoshou in the Four Symbols Secret Realm. "Hallmaster Dao thought he had Xu Xiaoshou trapped, but it was a ruse all along. They were baiting the Holy Emperor Qilin into the game, playing a bigger hand than any of us realized."
The scope of the Saint Servants' plans began to dawn on Xi, making him break out in a cold sweat. He had once thought himself a mere chess piece, but now he realized that even the pieces in play had awakened to their manipulation. The deeper he thought, the more terrifying the game became. "Is Xu Xiaoshou playing this same game?" he wondered, his dread growing with every second.
Xi had once believed he was at least a step ahead, but now he saw the layers upon layers of players above him—Hallmaster Dao, Bazhun'an, Kui Leihan. The vast disparity in power and influence left him feeling helpless.
"How long will it take to reach their level?" Xi questioned himself, doubt creeping into his Dao heart. He felt as though time itself was slipping away, and even if he strove to catch up, would he ever make it? Would anyone?
Just as Xi's mind spiraled into despair, a loud "Boom!" echoed not far from him, snapping him back to reality. He heard footsteps approaching, accompanied by a familiar, exasperated voice.
"Damn, it hurts…" the voice groaned, and Xi froze. It couldn't be… Dao Qiongcang?
"Why does he keep hitting my front teeth? Was he insane…"
Xi couldn't believe it. The voice was similar, but the tone was off—too casual, too undignified. Hell's Lord White Sin, sensing the intruder, let out a warning howl, but Xi suppressed his power, unwilling to engage.
A foot nudged Xi's body twice. "Still playing dead? Time to get up!" the voice said with an amused chuckle.
Xi lay still, trying to maintain his ruse.
"Oh, still pretending? I told you not to learn bad habits, but here we are…" the voice muttered, its tone almost nostalgic. "But in this mess with the Saint Mountain, everyone gets dirty eventually. My poor Gou Wuyue…"
With a resigned sigh, Xi began to stir, preparing to confront his unexpected visitor.
Just as Xi was about to stand up, he heard a rustling sound beside him, as if someone had lain down.
Xi lay in stunned silence, listening to Hallmaster Dao's bizarre behavior. The image of the powerful, near-mythical Hallmaster lying casually on the ground, missing two front teeth and staring aimlessly at the sky, was almost too much for Xi to process.
"Hallmaster Dao…?" Xi called out tentatively, his mind struggling to reconcile the man he saw with the legend he had revered. The once-distant figure of Dao Qiongcang seemed human—mortal, even—stripped of his saintly aura.
Sucking air through the gap where his teeth used to be, Dao Qiongcang sighed, "Youth really is wonderful!" The lofty distance between them evaporated in that single phrase.
Overcome with concern, Xi scrambled to his feet. "Hallmaster Dao, shouldn't we go over there? Xu Xiaoshou is still fighting Kui…" Before he could finish, Dao Qiongcang extended a hand, gently pushing Xi back to the ground.
"If you're going to be bad, be thoroughly bad; if you're going to be clever, think it through thoroughly," Dao Qiongcang said, his tone light but filled with hidden wisdom. "Kui Leihan knocked both of us away, but Xu Xiaoshou? He's still there, only half of him blown apart. Why do you think that is?"
Xi stared in confusion as Hallmaster Dao continued. "You've been running from Jade Capital City to Qingyuan Mountain. Now that you've found help, don't you want to catch your breath? Why jump back into the chaos?"
His words were puzzling, but Xi felt the weight behind them. Dao Qiongcang wasn't just talking about the battle, but something deeper, more strategic. He was toying with the idea of favors, of letting things settle instead of intervening too quickly.
Xi's head buzzed. "So… this is the real Dao Qiongcang?" he wondered, feeling both enlightened and lost.
"Hallmaster Dao," Xi asked hesitantly, "do you think Xu Xiaoshou can convince Kui Leihan to join the Saint Servants?"
"No." The response was immediate.
"Why not?" Xi pressed, eager for a clearer answer.
Dao Qiongcang smiled as if amused by the question. "If Kui Leihan were going to join the Saint Servants, he would have done so a long time ago."
That answer both relieved and confused Xi. "So, Hallmaster Dao, you have a plan, right?" He tried to sit up, but Dao Qiongcang's firm hand kept him pinned.
"Plans are for those who fuss over tiny chances, hoping they hit a one-in-a-million shot every time," Dao Qiongcang said, his tone light but layered with meaning. "You think every time someone deals with you, they're as worried as you are? Relax."
Xi felt as though he was missing something crucial. "But then… what about Xu Xiaoshou? Why aren't you worried about him?"
Dao Qiongcang chuckled, shifting his gaze back to the sky. "What you see is just a fragment of Xu Xiaoshou's will," he said cryptically.
Xi stared in confusion. "A fragment? What do you mean?"
Dao Qiongcang made a small grasping gesture, as if catching something unseen. "My appetite is much bigger than you think."
Xi leaned in, eager to understand, but the familiar playful smile returned to Dao Qiongcang's face. "Divine secrets cannot be revealed," he said with a mischievous wink.
Frustration surged in Xi as he realized he had been led in circles. Dao Qiongcang, despite his playful demeanor, was always several steps ahead. There would be no straightforward answers.
"Alright," Dao Qiongcang finally said, standing up. "They should be done by now." He began walking toward Changde Town, his earlier casual attitude gone.
Xi, resigned to following, felt like he had been through an exhausting mental workout. Just as he prepared to trail behind, Dao Qiongcang stopped and turned around.
"You don't need to come with me."
"Huh?" Xi blinked in confusion. "Then where should I go?"
"Qingyuan Mountain," Dao Qiongcang replied casually.
"Why Qingyuan Mountain?" Xi asked, bewildered. The battle was happening to the south; heading north seemed counterintuitive.
Dao Qiongcang flashed his signature cryptic smile. "Divine secrets cannot be revealed," Xi muttered to himself, already anticipating the answer.
"There's hope for you yet," Dao Qiongcang said approvingly. "Go."
Xi hesitated, glancing in the direction of Qingyuan Mountain. "But where exactly should I go there?"
"Yu Zhiwen's waiting for you," Dao Qiongcang replied casually, already turning his attention back to Changde Town. "She's been there a long time."
Changde Town.
The ruins of Cao's Blacksmith Shop lay in smoldering desolation.
"Hoo…"
A faint sound reverberated through the air, and smoke lazily spiraled into the sky. Amid the eerie silence, Jin Ren's residual spiritual senses within the Divine Puppet detected a disturbance, as though something intangible had pierced through the very fabric of the town.
An ethereal ripple of energy spread out, engulfing all of Changde Town. In the next instant, Jin Ren felt the presence of several Cutting Path Stage and Higher Void white-clothed people lurking in nearby streets collapse to the ground like marionettes with severed strings. Their eyes rolled back, and their bodies crumpled lifelessly.
"What kind of power is this?"
Even through the Divine Puppet, Jin Ren could barely comprehend what had happened. He hadn't seen Kui Leihan make a single move, yet a mere glance—no, not even a glance—and the mighty Higher Void experts had fallen.
Suppressing his shock, Jin Ren urged the Divine Puppet into action. With strained effort, he extracted a spirit gem from Zhu Yike's spatial ring, hidden within the Puppet's abdominal cavity, and inserted it into the energy activation core at the base of the Puppet's back.
"Hummm…"
"Buzz, buzz, buzz."
A low hum filled the air as the Divine Puppet struggled to activate. Jin Ren's control over its mechanisms was crippled; its vast arrays and abilities remained offline, and his weaving techniques were rendered useless. All he had left was the Puppet's brute strength—its capacity to move and fight.
Kui Leihan stood amidst the ruins, surrounded by crackling blue-purple electric currents. The chaos had subsided, but the residual power of the God Punishment Tribulation still hung in the air like a storm about to strike again.
Jin Ren could sense the vast disparity between them. Yet, despite his crumbling connection to the Divine Puppet, he forced it to take one labored step forward after another, inching toward Kui Leihan.
Amidst the tension, Kui Leihan finally broke the silence. "Do you know why you're the only one left standing?"
Jin Ren did not respond. The Divine Puppet's movements were slow, deliberate, as it trudged through the rubble. He knew his chances were slim, but like Elder Dao the Flamboyant, he wanted to leave his mark.
Kui Leihan watched the battered Puppet approach, a trace of amusement flickering in his eyes. He deliberately withdrew the electric currents surrounding him, allowing the Puppet to draw closer.
The sound of the Puppet's heavy footsteps echoed in the empty streets. Each step dislodged broken parts, scattering them across the ground with metallic clinks.
As the Divine Puppet finally reached Kui Leihan, Jin Ren marveled at the sheer size of the giant. Kui Leihan was colossal, dwarfing even the Puppet. His presence was overwhelming, like an ancient titan towering over the remnants of a forgotten world.
What is he? Jin Ren thought. Is he even human?
Kui Leihan tilted his head, gazing down at the half-broken Divine Puppet. "What do you hope to achieve?"
The Divine Puppet didn't answer. It merely crouched, preparing to leap.
"Clang!"
In an awkward motion, the spirit gem powering the Puppet's core slipped out, falling to the ground like an unceremonious droplet. Still, the Puppet managed to spring onto Kui Leihan's massive thigh, despite the clear disparity in their power.
Jin Ren's mind grew increasingly hazy. His connection to the Divine Puppet was fading, but he pressed on. He had come this far, and he would see it through.
Kui Leihan remained still, curious about what the Puppet would do next.
The Puppet raised its arm—only for it to fall off with a clatter.
Undeterred, a tendril extended from the Puppet's shoulder, resembling the limb of an octopus. This grotesque appendage reached down to the severed arm, grasping it with slow, deliberate movements.
The arm was then raised—barely high enough to reach Kui Leihan's chest.
"Heh."
Kui Leihan chuckled softly, bemused by the Puppet's futile efforts. Is this a message? he wondered, expecting some sort of revelation or secret.
But then, the Divine Puppet leaped again, the tentacle holding its severed arm, and with all its remaining strength, it smashed the broken limb against Kui Leihan's head.
"Duang!"
For a brief moment, Kui Leihan was utterly dumbfounded. The sheer absurdity of the situation left him speechless.
After the blow, the Divine Puppet crumbled into a heap of debris at Kui Leihan's feet, sparks still crackling as the last vestiges of power dissipated.
Then, from the wreckage, the Divine Puppet's head glowed faintly. A voice—mocking, derisive—echoed from within the ruins.
"You would grovel at the feet of Elder Dao the Flamboyant? Pathetic dog."
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone