Chapter 56: From the Gaze of the Abyss

It was a wrinkled old face wearing a straw hat, with two large dark circles hanging on its gaunt features, trying to force a gentle smile.

However, that less-than-an-inch proximity was enough to scare someone to death.

Mu Zixi didn't even make a sound; her eyes rolled back, her body stiffened, and she fell straight backward.

Thud!

The old man pressed down on his straw hat, watching her hit the floor with indifference.

"Hmph, little girl, instead of learning good things, you pick up bad habits. If this keeps up, you'll be tearing down walls!"

He took the two ancient books from the girl's hand, patted them, and placed them on the bookshelf. Casually kicking the girl lying on the ground to the side, the old man was about to deal with the next person when he suddenly frowned.

He squatted down, grabbed Mu Zixi's wrist, and his expression changed.

"What's going on?"

"This immense life force..."

The old man was astonished; the life aura on this little girl was so dense it almost overshadowed her wood attribute. Not only that, but the suppressed wood attribute showed no sign of weakening; instead, it was voraciously devouring life force to strengthen itself. This was what surprised him the most.

"What kind of rare constitution is this?"

"Able to enhance her wood attribute by devouring life force?"

The old man's eyes glowed green as if he had discovered a rare treasure. However, the next moment, his gaze went past the bookshelf to the back, and a struggle appeared in his eyes. But it was only for an instant before his gaze returned to firmness.

"What a pity..." he sighed softly. "If this girl had appeared before me earlier, perhaps I would have chosen you."

After making his decision, the old man no longer hesitated and kicked the girl aside.

He held his straw hat, squatting beside Zhou Tianshen, and as he looked at the parchment scroll, the wrinkles on his face instantly contorted.

"To sever my path?"

"How did this evil thing get dug out too..."

"These little rascals, are they rats or something?!"

The stout young man next to him seemed to stir, and the old man immediately pressed his face closer.

Zhou Tianshen finally snapped out of his trance from the parchment scroll, his eyes filled with excitement, and even the hand holding the ancient diagram couldn't stop trembling.

"Well? Found some enlightenment?"

A faint voice seemed to echo in his mind, and Zhou Tianshen nodded wildly. "So much enlightenment!"

"Everything Xu Xiaoshou said was true! With this blade technique, as long as I continue to comprehend it, innate blade intent is within reach!"

"Mu Zi..."

His mind completely engrossed by the ancient diagram, he merely reached out, wanting to call Mu Zixi over to take a look, but instead brushed against something.

It was a bit warm, soft and limp, yet very rough...

Zhou Tianshen turned his head in confusion...

An old face!

An old face, inches away!

Those dark, dark eyes were peering at him through a gap between fingers, like the gaze of death!

"Holy hell!!!"

Zhou Tianshen's pupils instantly lost focus; the roar in his heart hadn't even left his mouth, as his three souls and seven spirits had already been scared out of his head by this terrifying sight. His body stiffened, he slammed straight into the wall, and fell to the ground with a thud, unable to get up.

"Tsk!"

The old man wiped his face, kicked the young man into a corner, and muttered, "Only one left!"

...

Swish, swish, swish!Swish, swish, swish!

Xu Xiaoshou sifted through ancient books with one hand and held a jade slip in the other, multitasking with incredibly high efficiency. Suddenly, his movements seemed to falter, but he didn't stop. The complaints from those two in his mental information bar had been gone for quite a while, but now a new message appeared.

"Being watched, Passive Value, +1."

Seeing this message, Xu Xiaoshou's hair instantly stood on end, a chill ran down his spine, and he almost turned around and slapped. But he forcibly held back! He kept telling himself not to be impulsive; if he turned around, it would truly be over.

"Who's watching me?" Xu Xiaoshou was terrified; while forcibly continuing his actions, he frantically roared in his mind. In his damn "Perception," he didn't see anyone around him!

Wait! Where were the spiritual energy fluctuations from Zhou Tianshen and Mu Zixi? They were gone too? He tremblingly focused his attention on the previous location of the two and saw two unconscious figures lying on the ground.

Holy hell! Killed? The Scripture Guardian is here?

Xu Xiaoshou's heart pounded wildly; if this person had appeared before him, it wouldn't have been so terrifying. But precisely, he was watching him, yet he couldn't see him! This unknown fear was the most tormenting.

Xu Xiaoshou carefully breathed on the ancient book, put it back, and pretended to casually murmur: "Sigh, I wonder how many years it's been since anyone cleaned here. So much dust, it really makes one want to shake the books to get rid of it!" He stretched lazily, not daring to look back. "After doing so much work on the first floor without expecting anything in return," he muttered, "it's about time to go to the second floor and look for the spiritual techniques I want!"

With his hand on the bookshelf, Xu Xiaoshou tried to move his legs, but found that his body was no longer obeying him.

Holy hell! Move, damn it!

Xu Xiaoshou's face instantly darkened, but he instantly adjusted his demeanor, patting his thigh. "Seriously," he said, "standing for so long, my legs are numb. Work is tiring indeed." "The Scripture Guardian here really has it tough, having to manage so many ancient books every day. I have the utmost respect."

He lifted his foot, finally took a step, and his heart was overjoyed; leaning on the bookshelf, he was about to leave.

"Oh ho, you can actually spot this old man. You've made progress!" a playful voice came from behind him.

"Oh dear!" Xu Xiaoshou suddenly covered his ears. "I'm really too tired," he muttered, "I feel like I'm hallucinating..." His legs had regained movement, and he strode forward, but felt as if destiny had him by the throat.

"What are you pretending for!"

"Turn around for this old man!"

Xu Xiaoshou made a long face as he was forcibly turned around, immediately seeing an old face wearing a straw hat and dark circles under its eyes.

"It's you!"

The fear in his heart was instantly dispelled, and Xu Xiaoshou was stunned. Isn't this the old geezer who forcibly made him swallow the "Cinderlight Fire Seed" that day? What was his name again...? Elder Sang?

A nameless fire suddenly burned in his chest as the pain he suffered that day rushed out. Xu Xiaoshou's temper flared, and he actually forgot to consider the old man's identity. He had sworn before that when they met again, he would definitely sever all of his... *parts*. How could Xu Xiaoshou forget?

He suddenly took a step back, pulled out "Hidden Suffering" from his chest, and pointed his sword at the old man. To live a life is to seek pleasure and repay wrongs!

Facing this sword, Elder Sang's sparse eyebrow twitched, his eyes, which had been fixated on the sword's tip near his nose bridge, snapped back to their original position, and he glanced at Xu Xiaoshou without any emotion.

"Hmm?"

He only let out a questioning hum, and Xu Xiaoshou immediately felt as if he had fallen into the chilling depths of the Nine Netherworld, his body instantly going cold.

My heavens! What am I doing? Pointing my sword at the Scripture Guardian??? Damn, am I crazy? Those two were taken down without a sound; am I looking for death?

He slowly raised his sword, performed a sword flourish in the air, put it back into his ring, and awkwardly smiled. "Hehe," he chuckled, "Staring at this sword technique for too long, it's easy for too many insights to emerge. I just can't help but want to take out my sword and practice a bit..."

"Hehe, heh..."

"Sword technique?" Elder Sang said, taking off his straw hat and pulling out the ancient book he had just put down. "Twelve Wild Fists?"

"Uh!" Xu Xiaoshou's smile instantly froze.

...

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