Chapter 65: Finally Found Me?

Shao Yi frowned.

Not home?

He had waited for a long time, but there was absolutely no movement inside. If someone were home, it would be impossible for there to be no response.

Waking up in the middle of the night, even if they were just groggy, they should at least make a sound and ask who was there!

He looked at the barrier wall surrounding the wooden door. If he were to force his way through, he could certainly tear it open, but it would definitely make some noise.

But if he waited any longer, it would be daylight...

Never mind, he decided to act decisively.

He drew a short sword from his sleeve, poised to strike, but a hand stopped him.

Feng Kong's voice penetrated the barrier directly.

"Spirit Law Pavilion, Xiao Qixiu!"

"Open the door!"

Just a door away.

Inside, Xu Xiaoshou's scalp tingled instantly. At that moment, he just wanted to turn and run, but he forcibly suppressed the urge.

That perfectly replicated voice—if he hadn't used "Perception" to see the two figures outside the door, he might have genuinely opened it!

And the one knocking had two short swords in their hand!

If Xu Xiaoshou still couldn't figure out what these two were here for, he might as well just give up.

"What's going on?"

"Why would someone want to kill me?!"

Xu Xiaoshou panicked, cold sweat trickling down his back. His thoughts raced, but he still didn't speak.

With "Perception" at its maximum, the two people at the door still appeared to be ordinary, seemingly without any cultivation.

However, Xu Xiaoshou knew that these were at least two Xiantian cultivators, and not ordinary ones at that!

He could instantly detect spiritual cultivation, and the mysterious aura unique to Xiantian cultivators was also easy to discern.

These two were flawless; they must have cultivated some kind of cultivation-concealing technique.

They could even be professional assassins!

Thinking this, Xu Xiaoshou's expression changed.

The Spirit Palace was protected by a grand formation; it would be impossible for outside masters to infiltrate, unless their cultivation was explosively strong.

But considering their age, that possibility could basically be ruled out.

So, where would such powerful Xiantian masters come from?

There was only one answer...

The Inner Courtyard!

Xu Xiaoshou's body involuntarily trembled. How could these damn Inner Courtyard people come to kill him? Were they crazy?!

He racked his brain, feeling his brain cells dying en masse at that moment, yet he refused and dared not stop his deductions.

If he couldn't get past this tonight, he might genuinely perish here!

Yet, the more he deduced, the colder his heart became.

To his knowledge, only Su Qianqian from the previous cohort had entered the Inner Courtyard; no one from the cohort before Su Qianqian had entered; and anything further back, he didn't know.

But this was already enough!

If these two outside were truly Inner Courtyard masters, they would have been Xiantian cultivators two or three years ago!

"What the hell..."

"Are you kidding me?"

"What did I, Xu Xiaoshou, do to deserve both of you making a move?"

"When the hell did I ever offend you two?!"

Xu Xiaoshou almost fell to his knees. After making his initial deductions, he used "Perception" on the two again.

The one in front seemed to have a faint trace of Xiantian aura, but the one behind...

"It's over!"

At least one was at the peak of the Yuan Court realm, and the other was in the Juwu realm, or possibly even higher...

Xu Xiaoshou's heart turned utterly cold.

Once one entered the Xiantian realm, even the difference between the initial and mid-stages, two adjacent minor realms, was incomparable to the entire ten stages of Spiritual Refinement combined.

What's more, the cultivation of these two was far beyond that.

These weren't damn Inner Courtyard masters; they were literally reapers of death!

Xu Xiaoshou wasn't arrogant enough to challenge seasoned Xiantian cultivators, especially right after drawing two Xiantian passive skills and comprehending "Ashen Skyflame."

And there were two of them!

This was absolutely suicide!

"How do I get out of this?"

Escaping was impossible; how could he possibly get away?

But staying here...

Xu Xiaoshou swallowed hard. It was a guaranteed death; he felt his life had reached its end.

...

Outside the door.

The two exchanged glances, confirming the situation.

If there truly wasn't anyone inside, then they had been discovered.

While the latter was unlikely, it wasn't impossible.

The champion of the Outer Courtyard's "Wind and Cloud Hegemony," though reported to only have an eighth-stage cultivation, possessed a Xiantian physique and Xiantian sword intent. Who knew what other means he might have?

"Act!"

Feng Kong tilted his head, and Shao Yi's aura burst forth. Surging spiritual energy gathered in his short sword, ready to split the very mountain.

"Creak~"

Just then, the barrier cracked, and the wooden door opened on its own.

"What the hell!"

Shao Yi hastily reined in his power. However, this strike had gathered immense energy, and forcibly stopping it almost made him spit out a mouthful of blood.

Their gazes met in mid-air, both highly alert, seeing the caution in each other's eyes.

Something was definitely up!

They were professional assassins. Feng Kong was even close to earning the "Three Incense Sticks" red-card hunting order, so he was naturally highly sensitive to danger and deeply understood the principle of "a lion hunting a rabbit still uses its full strength."

Otherwise, he wouldn't have come along for this night raid.

"Go in!"

The two cautiously stepped into the courtyard. The next second, they were stunned by what they saw.

On the ground...

Why were there so many large pits?

Had a major battle taken place here?

Furthermore, while having a private courtyard in the Outer Courtyard was good, it naturally paled in comparison to the Inner Courtyard. Why did this place feel incredibly vast at a glance?

It seemed even larger than their own courtyard.

No!

It was more like...

Something was missing?

Shao Yi looked at the small wooden house to his side. It was too shabby, such a tiny dwelling? Could Xu Xiaoshou afford a courtyard but not a proper house?

No!

That must be a guest house!

Shao Yi suddenly realized something. He looked to the side of the small wooden house, where there was a large empty space.

"Isn't there supposed to be a main house here? Why is it gone?!"

The reason the place felt so empty earlier was because the most basic private courtyards in the Spirit Palace came with a main house and a guest house.

Here, there was clearly a spot for a main house, yet it was an empty plot of land...

What exactly happened?!

What happened in this broken place?!

Shao Yi was startled.

Observing the terrain was an essential skill for an assassin, and all these thoughts processed almost instantaneously.

Not only that, but the strange layout and the pockmarked ground instantly led Shao Yi to a conjecture.

Could it be that a battle had occurred here?

"Who's there?!"

Feng Kong cried out in alarm beside him. Shao Yi, startled, looked to the side and suddenly saw a tall, slender silhouette standing on the rockery in the dim, rainy night.

Xu Xiaoshou?!

No!

It might not be Xu Xiaoshou; it could be the other person from that battle!

Not only Shao Yi, but Feng Kong's conjectures were also largely consistent. Both felt the situation was somewhat unexpected.

What was supposed to be a sure-fire assassination, achievable the moment Xu Xiaoshou opened the door, now felt uncertain and unpredictable, even after entering his courtyard.

The silhouette on the rockery didn't turn around but lowered its head slightly, then sighed faintly as a hoarse voice rang out.

"So, you finally found me? Unexpectedly..."

"...a bit slow!"

The two's pupils contracted. What did that mean?

This guy...