The Tone Shifted Again

Amid the flutter of her jade fingers, obscure hand seals gradually took shape. Xu Xiaoshou felt the chains growing hotter.

"Melting Refinement!"

With a soft shout from Mo Mo, magma suddenly surged from the four great openings in the sky, blazing down the chains toward him.

"Oh my god, is this really okay?"

The spectators were dumbfounded. Still in the Acquired Realm, they simply could not understand a battle between Innates.

If an ordinary Level Ten Spirit Refiner had gone up there, they would probably have been finished in an instant!

Xu Xiaoshou felt just as miserable. He pleaded, "Don't—give me a chance!"

Mo Mo ignored him and increased her strength. At once, the stream of magma flowed over Xu Xiaoshou's body.

"Ah—"

Xu Xiaoshou instinctively let out a heart-rending scream, but then suddenly realized it did not hurt that much. He stopped howling.

What was going on?

It felt strangely familiar. He recalled refining the "Emberlight Fire Seed" at Goose Lake. That pain had come from within and spread outward—that was what true agony felt like!

This magma burned from the outside in. Honestly, compared to that, it was like a sorceress before a witch. It hurt, yes, but not enough to make him scream.

At most, it just looked terrifying.

Sizzle, sizzle~ His flesh was burned through, only to rapidly heal again, over and over. Other than the pain he could endure, this move was actually useless against Xu Xiaoshou!

"Hehe, it's not all that impressive!"

Xu Xiaoshou grinned. Looking like this while being subjected to extreme torture, he resembled nothing so much as a masochist.

Yet none of the spectators could laugh. Even Xiao Qixiu wore a grave expression.

"For Xu Xiaoshou to have come this far, just how many hardships has he endured? He actually feels nothing from magma burning him?!"

"To be fair, I'm truly convinced. Anyone who can cultivate an Innate physique has terrifyingly strong willpower."

"Phew... Xu Xiaoshou really didn't get this far through luck!"

Su Qianqian covered her eyes in distress, utterly unable to keep watching.

Zhang Xinxiong's face was solemn, betraying no emotion, but he had also lost any desire to tease Xu Xiaoshou.

Received admiration, Passive Value +666.
Received concern, Passive Value +888.
...

In the arena, Mo Mo was genuinely shaken by the sight.

No one knew better than she did how terrifyingly hot this magma was, yet Xu Xiaoshou looked utterly accustomed to it.

She looked toward Xiao Qixiu, unable to bear increasing the force of her attack any further.

The referee in the air shook his head. When it came to a Spirit Refiner with such true and great perseverance, no one could stop him from claiming victory.

Xu Xiaoshou was still holding on. How could he possibly intervene to end the match?

"Phew..."

Mo Mo gritted her teeth and instantly doubled the temperature! A streak of black suddenly appeared within the crimson magma, and that dark, murky fluid slipped between Xu Xiaoshou's clothes.

"Mm!"

Pain finally appeared on Xu Xiaoshou's face. This suddenly doubled temperature had already surpassed that of the other day.

No, if this continued, he really would die! His eyes rolled as he recalled the method he had used to refine it that day. What if...

He refined this magma into his body?

Xu Xiaoshou's eyes lit up. Pain was pain—just do it! His chest shook, and a Red-Gold Pill flew out. Xu Xiaoshou caught it in his teeth, then drew in a fierce breath.

"Sizzle, sizzle!"

The surging scorching energy instantly melted Xu Xiaoshou's mouth and nose, only for them to be restored in the next moment.

Another wave of searing energy entered his sea of energy and was completely absorbed.

"It works!"

Xu Xiaoshou rejoiced and continued without a care.

Everyone watched in horror. This...

Was brutal!

The scene was so terrible that no one could force out a single word. The venue fell deathly silent, and everyone unconsciously cheered Xu Xiaoshou on in their hearts.

Mo Mo could not watch any longer.

Xu Xiaoshou could endure it, but she, the one inflicting it, could not. This was too cruel.

I, Mo Mo, am not this kind of person! But...

If even "Heaven-Sealing Refinement" can't defeat him, do I have to use that move... Mo Mo unconsciously touched her right arm.

Xu Xiaoshou noticed! His legs trembled. The magma had not made him yield, but Mo Mo's tiny movement nearly made him drop to his knees.

What was she about to do, undo the seal?

You've got to be kidding! "Stop!" Xu Xiaoshou roared.

Mo Mo raised her head. He knew what she was going to do? Probably not...

But never mind. Better to free him sooner!

Mo Mo formed another series of complex hand seals with her left hand.

Xu Xiaoshou felt utterly awful. Don't, there was no need for this—I wasn't worth it! He did not know what exactly was sealed within Mo Mo's right hand, but she was already this terrifying without undoing it. If she did...

Wouldn't that be the end of him?! What do I do, what do I do...

Xu Xiaoshou's mind raced. He had to stop her! Suddenly, his gaze fixed on the four chains binding him...

Xu Xiaoshou closed his eyes.

In the next instant, the thousand spirit swords that had only just settled down throughout the arena began trembling again.

Xiao Qixiu's pupils contracted. This guy...

He had learned All Things Are Swords just like that?

At noon, he had only known the Reverse Sword-Flight Technique. Was he some kind of monster?!

"Buzz—"

The thousand spirit swords took to the air again. While breathing in the searing air, Xu Xiaoshou controlled the sword intent throughout the arena.

Soon, he sensed a unique sword aura...

The sword aura Mo Mo had swallowed earlier, which had yet to be refined!

Xu Xiaoshou frowned. Within his "Perception," an obscure force was suppressing that sword aura, leaving it unable to stir up any waves.

But...

"Reversing Sword Form!"

With a fierce pull from Xu Xiaoshou, Hidden Pain on the ground suddenly turned and shot toward him with a whoosh!

He forcibly cut off the sword-intent pull, and the black sword crashed to the ground with a clang.

The spectators were utterly baffled, not knowing what Xu Xiaoshou was up to. In the next moment, however, they noticed that something was wrong with Mo Mo.

The hand seals in her left hand were forcibly interrupted. Her face flushed red, and her lower abdomen swelled slightly, as though something inside was about to burst.

"Xu! Xiaoshou!"

Mo Mo instantly knew this fellow was behind it. She flew into a furious rage, hurriedly abandoning everything else to suppress the sword aura.

"Hehe!"

Xu Xiaoshou seemed to have found a solution. "Reversing Sword Form!"

The black sword sprang upright, but before it could fly, the move was interrupted again, and it fell to the ground with another clang.

At the same time, Mo Mo's body jolted violently, then immediately quieted. She frowned, yet also let out a breath of relief.

Fortunately, Xu Xiaoshou could not divide his attention for long...

But was that really the case?

"Reversing Sword Form!"

The black sword sprang upright...

"Interrupted!"

Clang...

"Urgh!"

Mo Mo's body jolted. She suddenly raised her head, seeming to realize something.

The spectators, stunned, also seemed to realize something...

"Xu Xiaoshou, he wouldn't, would he?!"

"Damn, isn't that a little too shameless?!"

Xu Xiaoshou realized it too. Not only did he realize it—he put it into action.

"Reversing Sword Form... interrupted!"

"Reversing Sword Form... interrupted!"

"Clang!"

"Clang!"

"Urgh!"

"Urgh!"

Mo Mo jolted twice in succession, her face flushing with shame. "Xu Xia—"

"Reverse, reverse, reverse!"

"Interrupt, interrupt, interrupt!"

"Clang, clang, clang!"

"Urgh, urgh, urgh!"

Mo Mo's entire face burned crimson, even her neck flushing red—half from embarrassment, half from rage!

"Xu—"

"Reverse, reverse, reverse, reverse, reverse, reverse, reverse!"

"Interrupt, interrupt, interrupt, interrupt, interrupt, interrupt, interrupt!"

"Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang, clang, clang!"

"Urgh, urgh, urgh, urgh, urgh, urgh, urgh!"

The atmosphere at the finals suddenly took a wild turn. Everyone was left dumbfounded, and Xiao Qixiu's legs went weak as he fell from the air.

"Pfft!"

Hearing the strangely rhythmic sounds coming from Mo Mo's throat, Xu Xiaoshou lost control of his expression and burst out laughing, spraying blood from his mouth.

Received curses, Passive Value +1, +1, +1, +1, +1, +1...

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