Chapter 576: A Tentative Strike with Xuan

Xu Xing raised his hand.

The dull, four-sided absolutely standard crystal in his palm rose slowly along with it.

After reaching a certain height, it vanished directly into the pitch-black cosmic space, disappearing without a trace.

Lin Ji glanced up at the spot where the Dao Weapon had vanished, but all he could see was a stretch of dark, profound nothingness.

Even with his Dongzhen cultivation, he could not catch even the slightest glimpse of it.

Truly worthy of being a peculiar existence crowned with the name "Dao Weapon"—wondrously unmatched.

Sighing inwardly, Lin Ji continued looking toward his own master, about to say something more.

Buzz buzz~!

But then he saw a blade-light, domineering and fierce, spanning several million light-years, arriving nearby in an instant.

The newcomer was dressed all in black, powerfully built; on his thick neck, the muscles coiled like a crouching python, and in his hand he carried a long saber.

Its edge was biting cold, mingled with a thick, iron-blooded air.

It was no one else.

It was precisely Gu Mo, who, after the Righteous Alliance suffered the calamity of "Severed Heart Qi," had resolved to come to the front lines to hold the line.

The moment he caught sight of Xu Xing, he too was briefly stunned.

"Dao Brother has come too?"

He had just been clearing away the crystal river formed after the Dao Weapon's might had been triggered.

In the blink of an eye, he discovered that all the crystals had somehow vanished.

He had assumed someone had summoned the power of a immortal artifact, the might of an Overlord's fist intent, or perhaps Daoist Friend Min or Senior You from the starry sky had made a move, and so he thought he'd come over to take a look.

But the moment he arrived, he found that Dao Brother had actually come in person!

"The other Daoist Friends couldn't get away. Since this was the Dao Weapon's first trial, I had to come see for myself," Xu Xing added in explanation.

Beyond that reason, on the other hand, it was also to prevent Xuan from taking the opportunity to act.

Although the possibility was small, extra caution was never wrong.

I see.

Gu Mo nodded slightly, and then, just like Lin Ji, just as he was about to open his mouth and ask about the Righteous Alliance's situation…

"Dao Brother, those words are wrong, you know."

A voice reached them a step ahead of him.

Silently and without warning, a wisp of crimson clouds seemed to drift down, transforming into a woman of matchless elegance and endless allure.

Her features were breathtakingly beautiful, and she wore an indigo-blue long gown.

"This one can still come take a look, you know."

Master Mei Zu.

Hm?

Red 'entrance effect,' yet you're wearing a blue dress?

Xu Xing muttered a complaint in his heart.

"Greetings, Senior." Lin Ji hurriedly performed a salute.

Gu Mo was extremely surprised by Master Mei Zu's arrival, but he still cupped his fist in greeting.

"Greetings, Daoist Friend."

Master Mei Zu returned the courtesy as well, then, with a smiling gaze, looked toward Lin Ji and said very "generously":

"Boy Lin, you don't actually need to be so formal—just call me 'Master's Wife' directly."

The scene fell abruptly silent.

A cold sweat instantly broke out across Lin Ji's forehead.

Master's Wife?

If I really dared to address her that way, I'd probably choke on water tomorrow and die of suffocation…

With no other choice, he could only turn a pleading gaze toward his own master.

You wouldn't just stand by and watch this happen, would you, old man?

Xu Xing: "……"

Master Mei Zu suddenly pulling this stunt—he truly hadn't expected it.

"Cough, cough!" After clearing his throat, Xu Xing looked sternly at Lin Ji. "This place has just suffered a Dao Weapon attack. Although it was discovered in time, we still need to inspect it carefully."

Lin Ji, as if granted great mercy:

"This disciple obeys—going now!"

Having spoken, he transformed into a streak of sword-light and fled into the distance.

Only after Lin Ji had completely vanished did Xu Xing look toward Gu Mo again.

"Daoist Friend, you must have wanted to ask about matters concerning the Righteous Alliance, yes?"

Gu Mo, who had just been feeling as though he was somewhat superfluous and was planning to find an excuse to leave, paused at these words:

"Indeed… I wished to ask Dao Brother for guidance."

Before Yuan departed, he had solemnly entrusted him to look after the Righteous Alliance more.

A man who always valued his promises—how could he not keep them in mind?

But every time he recalled what those people of the Righteous Alliance had done during his closed-door cultivation, he felt deep resistance in his heart.

During this period since coming to the starry-sky front-line battlefield, the Righteous Alliance had sent people several times to invite him, but he had never agreed, nor even gone back to look.

"The Righteous Alliance is doing well in everything now—Daoist Friend need not worry," Xu Xing explained.

"What happened before was, after all, a scheme by 'Heaven' and 'Antiquity' together. One cannot blame others for it—Daoist Friend actually need not take it to heart."

"The front lines are in turmoil, and Fellow Daoist is only a hair's breadth away from comprehending the Dao Extremity—when the time truly comes, you must not let these matters delay your own Dao path."

Saying so, Xu Xing took out a jade slip and handed it to him.

"This was entrusted to me for you by the Speaker of this term's Orthodox Alliance. Everything Fellow Daoist wishes to know is within."

"A person lives but one life—who can claim to be without fault? A single stray thought, and one will go astray."

"Besides, Gu's scheme didn't succeed either, did it? Fellow Daoist has always been broad-minded; surely you wouldn't grow sullen over something that never came to pass."

Gu Mo silently took the jade slip, gazed at it for a long while, and finally could not help but smile wryly.

It was entirely his own failure to keep watch, forcing Dao Brother to clean up the aftermath, and now Dao Brother still had to come comfort him.

"To still trouble Dao Brother—this truly is my fault…"

After a soft sigh, Gu Mo pressed his palms together and stowed the jade slip.

"Fellow Daoist speaks too gravely."

Merely bringing along a jade slip and saying a few words—it truly was nothing.

"Is there anything else you wish to ask?"

Gu Mo hesitated, but in the end slowly began: "I wonder how my sister-in-law…"

Apart from the Orthodox Alliance, what worried him most was his sister-in-law, who was rebuilding her cultivation.

Sister-in-law?

A trace of something odd flashed through Master Mei Zu's eyes, who had remained silent all this while.

Could it be that he means Fellow Daoist Friend Meng Xuan?

Then this form of address really is…

"Fellow Daoist Friend Meng Xuan should be traveling about, but the specifics I am not clear on either."

With no cause, Xu Xing naturally could not have gone investigating Friend Meng Xuan's whereabouts.

"Is that so…" Gu Mo paused.

It seemed he could only wait until he returned later, then go pay a visit to his sister-in-law.

"Many thanks, Dao Brother. I'll go patrol the surrounding conditions, so I'll take my leave first."

"Mm, safe travels, Fellow Daoist."

Then, just as when he had come, a blade-light suddenly rose, slicing forward, and vanished into the distance.

For a moment.

Only Xu Xing and Master Mei Zu remained at the spot.

Xu Xing turned his head to look at Master Mei Zu, preparing to ask her reason for coming, but she beat him to it.

"Why doesn't Dao Brother take a guess—why has this one come here?"

"The Dao Soldiers?"

"Something like that can be seen clearly from afar, can't it?"

Master Mei Zu smiled brightly, one hand lightly resting on Xu Xing's shoulder.

"This one simply felt that if the Sword Venerable saw this scene, his expression would surely be most interesting!"

Saying so, she looked back toward the direction of the Central Continent.

"Bleeeh~!"

Xu Xing: "…"

Perhaps Master Mei Zu's 'provocation' truly had an effect, for in that instant Xu Xing felt a chill run down his spine.

His back grew cold in waves.

"Enough, stop fooling around." Xu Xing said in earnest, "If I am not mistaken, you should be here to verify some ideas, yes?"