Another Saint

At this moment, the burly figure shrouded in light and shadow slowly turned around, his gaze sweeping over Xiao Ruobai, Fang Hanyu, and Ling Xi.

Although his facial features were blurred, the gentle and approving look in his eyes was clearly conveyed.

"Not bad."

A deep and slightly hoarse voice sounded.

"Calm in the face of danger, with a solid foundation."

However, when his gaze inadvertently swept over Fatty Wang, who was hiding behind Xiao Ruobai with a complex expression and shifty eyes, Shi Wanshan's heart suddenly skipped a beat!

"Oh no!"

He cried out inwardly.

"I was too busy trying to look cool... Ah, no, I was too busy showing off my powerful strength to deter the scoundrels, and I completely forgot about this little fatty!

Look at his eyes... so sneaky, and even carrying a bit of grievance and lingering fear... Could it be that he recognized me as the passerby who... uh... 'borrowed' some resources from him back then?!"

Shi Wanshan suddenly felt a bit guilty.

Although he didn't care about trifling matters in his actions, if his martial nephew found out that he had once stripped the little fatty bare, where would he put this old face of his?

Especially since the tall and mighty image of a Dao Protector he had just established in front of the juniors would instantly collapse!

He quickly coughed lightly, forcibly suppressing that trace of unnaturalness. His gaze swiftly moved away from Fatty Wang, becoming majestic and profound once again, as if the pause just a moment ago was merely an illusion.

He said in a deep voice, "The crisis is temporarily resolved, but you must still be cautious and not careless."

In his heart, however, he muttered to himself, "This kid... probably didn't recognize me, right? Right, he definitely didn't!

With the majesty of a Saint, how could a mere Cave Heaven Realm cultivator see through my disguise? Yes, that must be it!"

Meanwhile, in the Eastern Region Branch of the Netherworld Palace, Phantom Shadow saw this scene through his avatar's perspective, and his mind instantly became clear.

"Interesting... there really is a Saint acting as a Dao Protector, and a Saint with such vigorous vitality at that."

He gently rested his hand on his forehead, as if weighing his options.

"Those idiots from the Glazed Holy Land have probably kicked an iron plate this time... However, this is a good opportunity that will save me a lot of trouble."

"Attacking and assassinating at this moment will not only show the Glazed Holy Land that my Netherworld Palace has fulfilled the contract, but I can also conveniently be defeated by this mysterious Saint, logically withdrawing from the battlefield and perfectly completing the mission!"

A dark light flashed in his eyes as he sat up straight, an invisible majesty spreading out.

"Since this person's strength is so great, the acting must be a bit more realistic."

With a thought, his avatar far away in the valley immediately received the command.

The void above the valley silently rippled like water, and a blurred, ethereal figure entirely shrouded in pure Netherworld death aura appeared without warning!

It was exactly the initial-stage Saint avatar sent by Phantom Shadow!

The timing of its appearance was incredibly tricky, happening right at the split second when Shi Wanshan looked at Xiao Ruobai and the others, and his mind relaxed slightly after just slaying a powerful enemy!

"The Netherworld Palace is executing a task, all who stand in the way shall be killed!"

The avatar issued a cold, emotionless declaration. A short blade dripping with black death aura in its hand turned into a dark stream of light that tore at the divine soul, aiming straight for the few people being protected in the back!

This strike was ruthless, swift, and intended for a certain kill!

"You're courting death!"

Shi Wanshan was furious! He had just blasted a person to death and his momentum was at its peak; how could he allow someone else to commit murder right in front of him?

Before he could even fully turn around, he threw a punch backhanded!

The majestic power of vitality and blood transformed into a condensed crimson fist aura, striking later but arriving first, fiercely crashing into that dark stream of light!

Boom!

The fist aura and the short blade collided, erupting in a deafening explosion! The Netherworld death aura and the scorching heat wave frantically intertwined and annihilated each other!

The Netherworld avatar's body shook violently, and it spat out blood, flying backward from the force. It was obvious that it was far inferior to Shi Wanshan in a pure clash of strength.

But its movement technique was bizarre, as if it had no physical body. After flickering a few times in the void, it neutralized most of the impact. Holding the short blade, it coldly confronted Shi Wanshan.

"Scum of the Netherworld Palace! Lingering like a haunting ghost!"

Shi Wanshan took a step forward, his burly body exuding a violent aura like a primordial fierce beast, dead-locking onto that Netherworld avatar.

"Daring to launch a sneak attack, I'll tear your bones apart!"

Xiao Ruobai, Fang Hanyu, and Ling Xi also reacted instantly. They quickly gathered together, their auras locking onto the suddenly appearing assassin, their eyes icy cold.

The cultivators watching the battle from afar were in an uproar once again!

"Holy... holy... holy shit! A... another Saint?! It's an assassin from the Netherworld Palace!"

"My God! The Netherworld Palace actually sent a Saint-level assassin! This truly is a fight to the bitter end!"

The spectating cultivators went completely crazy! Today's thrills came one wave after another; it was simply too much for their hearts to take!

"My heavens! What day is it today?! A meeting of Saints?! Saints, who are usually like divine dragons whose heads are seen but not their tails, are popping out one after another?!"

One cultivator was so excited that his voice changed pitch as he danced with joy.

"First an old Saint, then that mysterious body cultivator Saint, and now even a Saint-level assassin from the Netherworld Palace has appeared! What... what is wrong with the world?! Since when did Saints become as common as cabbages?!"

Another old cultivator beat his chest and stomped his feet, feeling that his understanding of the world had been completely overturned.

"It's worth it! Totally worth it! To be able to witness three Saints appearing in person in this lifetime, with two of them even fighting it out! Even if I'm shocked to death by the aftermath right now, it's damn well worth it!"

A bold rogue cultivator was flushed red with excitement, staring fixedly at the battlefield while simultaneously retreating.

"Quick! Quick, use the recording jade slips! Record this scene! Bringing this back to the sect will be a great merit!"

A clever fellow had already started taking action.

"Record my ass! When Saints fight, the Dao principles are in chaos. Ordinary jade slips can't retain the images at all! Memorize it with your heart! Imprint it with your divine soul! The details! Not a single detail can be missed! These are all priceless treasures!"

A more knowledgeable person shouted anxiously.

The entire viewing area completely boiled over. The crowd was restless, and exclamations, sighs, and discussions merged into one.

Many people even forgot their fear, left with only the excitement and thrill of witnessing history.

However, the successive eruptions of Saint-level fluctuations in the valley were like beacon fires in the dark night, instantly attracting the attention of the top factions in the entire Eastern Region.

Taixuan Holy Land, the Holy Lord's secret chamber.

The current Holy Lord, Xuanchengzi, received a secret report. The jade slip at his fingertips silently turned into powder, and a trace of a complex ripple flashed in his eyes.

"Martial Uncle Kuxuan... ultimately still took this path."

He sighed lightly, his tone containing shock, but more so a kind of relief.

"To force himself to hold on for thousands of years for an illusory life-extending opportunity, and now trying to forcibly snatch the secret token, ending up in such a state... Well, let the grudges end here. For him, and for the Holy Land, it can be considered a kind of liberation."

In the Glazed Holy Land, the Holy Lord's face was as gloomy as stagnant water.

He stared in the direction of Xuanzhou, cold light flashing in his eyes. "There really is a Saint acting as a Dao Protector. This Netherworld Palace is truly unreliable, a bunch of trash!"

Immediately after, the corners of his mouth curled into a cold arc. "But it doesn't matter, Elder Ying has already gone over. Open attacks are easy to dodge, but hidden arrows are hard to guard against. With him there, it won't be a big problem."

Ancient inheritances such as the Yaochi Holy Land, the Desolate Ancient Wang Family, and the Heavenly Secret Pavilion also had powerful divine senses sweeping across that region through the void, carrying scrutiny and curiosity.

"An unfamiliar body-refining Saint? His vitality and blood qi are incredibly vigorous..."

"The phenomena manifested by those little brats are quite extraordinary!"

"The Netherworld Palace has also interfered? How interesting..."

"We shall observe how things unfold and refrain from intervening for now."

Streams of divine intent—some apathetic, some inquisitive, some calculating—converged in the void before quietly fading away once more.

Beneath the seemingly tranquil waters of the Eastern Region, this sudden, unexpected variable had begun to stir up endless ripples.