Luo Leilei nearly spat out a mouthful of blood.

She had expected her devious plan to get Xu Xiaoshou expelled from the Tiansang Spirit Palace. If he could not remain there, it would force him to leave with her.

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She did not expect him to respond in such a humiliating way. He painted her as a horrible woman who was trying to force herself on a young man! And he was so smug about how he had diverted back all the attention on her.

"What the hell!"

She nearly threw herself at the young man so that she could kill him!

Common sense stopped her from her rash impulse, but it didn't stop the torrent of furious curses she spewed at Xu Xiaoshou.

Luo Leile's ranting and dissatisfaction transformed into Passive Points that enriched Xu Xiaoshou's store of Passive Points.

When Xu Xiaoshou saw the flurry of notifications appearing on his Information Bar, the wide grin he had nearly split his face into two.

No, he had to get a hold of himself!

There were so many people watching. He had to keep up the act!

He forced a pained look on his face. It was a look of emotional turmoil and one that a person who was suffering from constipation would show. Xu Xiaoshou stared at Luo Leilei and shook his head. His eyes seemed full of grim determination.

Luo Leilei was speechless.

How infuriating!

She turned her head away. She might do something reckless if she did not get him out of her sight.

"Xu Xiaoshou, you will pay for this!"

Luo Leilei cursed and swore she would have nothing to do with him ever again. He already taught her a lesson in the Tianxuan Gate, so why had she not learned?

Ye Xiaotian stood on the steps and watched the two sabotaging each other. He realized what was going on.

If Xu Xiaoshou was not a spy, then besides Luo Leilei, the other spy must be hiding in their midst. Time waited for no man and he was not interested in watching the young pair bicker with each other.

"Seize her!"

With Shackles of the Abyss still activated, Luo Leilei was immobilized in midair. She could only watch as the four Master Stage cultivators around her unleashed their cultivation and lunged at her.

Her words were caustic and sarcastic, despite the look of helplessness in her eyes. "Hah! I cannot believe it! You are a Sovereign Stage cultivator. Yet, you need to mobilize four Master Stage cultivators to help you capture a helpless little girl. What a display of your might, esteemed Dean Ye!"

Ye Xiaotian ignored her words, then sighed softly and replied, "I am no longer your dean."

Luo Leilei shut her eyes in despair.

Was it the end for her?

She was the only one restrained by the Shackles of the Abyss. The shackles did not affect the four Master Stage law enforcers.

The spiritual force radiating from their raised palms contrasted starkly against their ordinary appearance, and it was a sight to behold.

The terrifying waves of energy seemed more destructive than Xu Xiaoshou's Lesser Fireball.

Luo Leilei had only unleashed her Thor's Form and could not summon further layers of protection after being held down by Ye Xiaotian's Shackles of the Abyss.

Her enemies' spiritual force streaked toward her, and everyone knew what was going to happen to her next.

Emotions rippled through Xu Xiaoshou as he watched imminent death approach the young woman.

He knew it was the harsh and cruel reality of the world of cultivation, where everyone would carry the burden of killing for a cause.

One's allegiance to a faction was a burden one had to bear. The slightest deviation from one's path because of the choices one made was another burden. They determined the fate that one might face at any given time in the future. And the fate that awaited the person might be a terrible one.

There were always opposing parties at odds with one another in the world. Good and evil were not easily discernible. It all depended on where one stood.

Perhaps, from where Luo Leilei stood, she was not wrong at all. Unfortunately, the circumstances dictated she had to face her fate.

"Power is the only thing that determines your fate."

Xu Xiaoshou turned away resolutely. He had no reason and no power to change what was happening.

BOOM!

Four palms pushed downward. The spiritual force building up in their palms erupted suddenly, sending waves of energy that distorted and shook the very fabric of the Heavens. A thunderous explosion echoed through the air.

Shocked by the booming explosion, everyone fell silent.

Was that the power of a Master Stage cultivator?

One who knew the Path at the Innate Stage could tap into its power at the Master Stage, and in time, master this power at the Sovereign Stage. Cultivators who reached the Master Stage already possessed enough strength to move mountains and fill oceans.

Boosted by the powers of the Great Path, even a simple punch could be devastating.

The looks of awe on everyone's faces gradually changed to sheer disbelief in the next instant.

Luo Leilei looked unaffected.

Surrounded by four Master Stage cultivators, Luo Leilei stood proudly in midair. Thor's Form and purple lightning were still twirling around her body.

The palms of the four Master Stage cultivators landed and failed to do her any harm. It was as if they had hit the most impenetrable object in the universe.

Everyone was dumbstruck, and the look of disbelief showed on all their faces.

"Is it because of the dean's Shackles of the Abyss? It is still active, so their blows landed on the barriers erected by the Shackles of the Abyss instead?"

"No! Look closer. The attacks from the four law enforcers did not land on Luo Leilei at all!"

Those who were more astute immediately realized what was going on. Everyone used their spiritual senses and was surprised when they saw the thinnest distance separating Luo Leilei and the blows from the four palms of the Master Stage cultivators.

It meant that the earlier explosion had resulted from the four Master Stage cultivators' spiritual forces suddenly releasing on their own!

The revelation sent everyone into a state of bewilderment.

Why had they stopped in the middle of their attack?

It was then that everyone realized the looks of agony on the faces of the Master Stage law enforcers. Someone had forcibly seized control over their bodies.

A bigger shock seized Xu Xiaoshou.

Unlike the others, he could see the terrifying sword energy that appeared out of nowhere and attacked the four law enforcers.

The sword energy suddenly materialized and hindered them in the middle of their attack. The law enforcers had turned their full attention to protecting themselves.

But he could see they were losing the fight!

The sword energy...

Those men...

The look of disbelief overwhelmed Xu Xiaoshou. It looked like a move in All Things are Swords: I Am the Sword!

Hold on a minute!

His pupils dilated with a sudden realization. He had stolen I Am the Sword from the masked man!

That meant...

"Is he here?" he muttered.

Xu Xiaoshou felt a sudden prickling numbness spread across his scalp. The impulse to turn tail and run for his life was overpowering, for here was a man who had his eyes on him!

But making a move at that point would be akin to throwing himself right into danger.

No. Xu Xiaoshou had to keep calm and blend in with the crowd!

He sneaked behind a pillar, threw a glance at Ye Xiaotian, and felt a wave of uneasiness.

The man had chopped off the dean's arm effortlessly. Was he still safe there?

The four Master Stage law enforcers in the air were showing signs of losing the fight. Blood was dripping from their eyes, noses, mouths, and ears. After a moment, their bodies stiffened.

Then, a sudden force broke out!

Four sword energies burst out of their bodies, skewering them from head to toe and locking them in place, as countless white sword energies slashed at them relentlessly.

And in no time, the four Master Stage cultivators were drenched in blood.

Xu Xiaoshou frowned. This display of All Things are Swords seemed impressive, but it was not as powerful as the one that the masked man had unleashed to contain the nine great Elders.

He had seized instant control over the Elders and had not given them any time to fight back.

What Xu Xiaoshou was witnessing at the moment was a pale comparison.

Instinctively, Xu Xiaoshou turned toward the small path in front of the Council Hall. It was the only path that led through the forest from the outside into the pavilion.

"A hostile intruder?"

The intruders were no ordinary cultivators. Everyone suddenly realized what was going on and looked to the small path.

They could hear something ominous moving slowly and deliberately.

"Dudu!"

When they heard the voice, the four Master Stage cultivators in the air finally succumbed and collapsed to the ground. Tiny sword energies continued to tear into their skin and flesh like daggers.

Luo Leilei was elated, and her eyes lit up.

Brother Shuangxing has arrived!

"Dudu!"

Everyone stared in horror at the four cultivators struggling on the ground. The voice sounded like a thunderous blow that struck them squarely in the chest.

Those were Master-stage cultivators! They were not the average run-of-the-mill cultivators. How were they taken down so effortlessly?

Was the new challenger a Sovereign Stage cultivator?

The law enforcers threw furtive glances at Ye Xiaotian and saw the solemn look on his face as he stared at the end of the narrow pathway.

After some time, someone finally emerged from the corner of the pathway.

A man dressed in old, faded robes dusty from travel and his snowy-white fingers gripped a purple cane.

"Dudu!"

It stunned everyone at the pavilion.

A blind guy?