Chapter 657: Showy Saint

When the dust was swept away by the furious wind, the land beneath Xu Yuan's feet had already become a vast crater, littered with scattered wood shavings and broken stones rolling wildly—no trace of the former market remained.

This strike, perhaps, had succeeded.

The gap between Transcendent and Sage was vast—gaps in origin, in physical constitution, in the strength of the Sacred Source—but none of these gaps were so great as to be insurmountable.

In recorded history, there had been more than one instance of a Transcendent besieging and ultimately defeating a Sage, through meticulous planning, synchronized action, and mutually restraining elements that could serve as leverage for a Transcendent to overcome a Sage.

Peering down at the struggling, disheveled figure rising from within the crater, Xu Yuan, suspended in midair, thought to himself, his voice calm and echoing through the darkness:

"If you don't let Lady Wan and your son appear, you might truly die right here."

....

The crater offered no reply, only the agonizing sound.

Mu Xingyi’s method of maintaining human form was not like the Shapeshifting of the Demon Clans—he had forcibly inserted the body of a creature into the shell of a human.

That attack had already shattered his human form. The body began to crack along the fine lines on its surface, countless slender limbs and blades emerging from the fissures, and pairs of insect-like eyes spiraling out from the skin.

Catching sight of his opponent's hideous true form, Xu Yuan's brow twitched upward ever so slightly.

It appeared Mu Xingchen had spoken the truth; the Insect Saint was a creature devoid of a spiritual soul, perceiving its surroundings solely through sight, sound, and the shared consciousness of the myriad swarming insects.

Judging by the spectacle before him, Mu Xingyi, having devoured the Insect Saint, was no exception.

With his deduction validated, a faint smile curled at the corner of Xu Yuan's lips.

Not everyone in this world shared his fortune of having endured the Phantasm Realm; mastering a suddenly acquired power until it obeyed like one's own limbs required time.

As a former cultivator, it was doubly impossible for Mu Xingyi to adapt to the primordial might of an ancient beast within so brief a span.

Having completely transformed into a grotesque insectoid form, Mu Xingyi drew upon the boundless sacred essence within his body to mend his wounds, all while locking one of his newly sprouted eyes onto Xu Yuan, his once gentle and serene voice warping into a harsh, piercing rasp:

"You need not trouble yourself over my life, Brother Xu."

Before the final syllable could fade, Mu Xingyi caught sight of the man suspended in midair turning the corners of his lips slightly upward.

In the very next instant,

A brilliant flash of white light erupted suddenly from beneath Mu Xingyi's feet!

Through the city's protective sky-mantle torn open by his foot-blades, the Three Immortals of the White Emperor surveyed everything within the city.

They watched Mu Xingyi descend into the city, saw him strike at Xu Changtian, and then watched as Mu Xingyi himself became entangled in a web of imprisonment.

In the silence of the heavens, the White Emperor suddenly turned to the hunched old man beside him:

"Qin Ke, is this the Holy Insect playing a trick on us?"

"."

The hunched old man, naturally observing all that transpired within the city, twitched at the corner of his mouth upon hearing the question, remained silent for a long moment before finally uttering one sentence:

"Hm, perhaps it was deliberately done?"

As soon as the words left his lips, he realized even he didn't believe them. Turning instead, he added:

"Indeed, Xu Changtian is rather strange—capable of evading attacks from Immortals through his state of fusion, and yet I have no clue what method he's using."

Bai Di's eyes held a touch of disdain as he exhaled,

"This can't be because the Insect Sage is too weak—possessing all the cultivation, yet with nowhere to release it. It seems, then, that the mortal world truly harbors such hollow, showy sages."

The hunched elder frowned for a moment, then suddenly smiled,

"A showy sage is still a sage. As long as the other sage doesn't appear, it won't die. Mu Xingyi must have inherited the Sage Source of the previous Insect Sage. And you, surely, know how vast the Sage Source within ancient beasts truly is."

Bai Di's voice was low and calm,

"Do you truly believe Xu Yinhe's descendants wouldn't understand this? He dared to use source crystals of such magnitude as weapons rather than to fortify his city's defenses—this alone proves his grasp of the greater situation is remarkably accurate."

The hunched elder paused for a moment, then broke into a sinister chuckle,

"Xu Changtian, after all, was the one Xu Yinhe personally designated as heir—naturally, he possesses some ability. But you needn't rush, Bai Di. These three sages below are precisely the leverage we use to force the Phoenix Pavilion sage into the open. You don't want to be caught off-guard by a single slash from Feng Jiuxuan, do you?"

Upon hearing this, Bai Di's indifferent gaze flickered with a hint of contemplation,

"So you haven't shared the information about the Suspended Banishment Seal with them."

"At the very least, Qin has informed you, so I hope the White Emperor does not grow suspicious."

"I've already grown accustomed to your cunning—do you not fear the Three Saints below may grow resentful?"

"On this point, I believe our positions are one and the same."

The hunched elder did not deny it, his eyes fixed on the Three Saints below, a smile playing on his lips that was hollow and sharp. "In this world, perhaps it's best to have fewer saints who are utterly detached—doesn't it seem so?"

The White Emperor did not dwell on this topic further, instead speaking softly and calmly:

"Not understanding the arts of combat does not mean they don't grasp the consequences of their actions. If you do not intervene now, you will break your promise to those three. And once that gap widens, unforeseen complications may arise."

The hunched elder sensed the subtle undercurrent in the White Emperor's words.

The White Emperor had no concern for the safety of the Three Saints below.

He was merely speaking to force the great saints of the Great Flame Sect to step from the shadows and into the open.

Yet, unless absolutely necessary, they would never step forward.

The hunched elder shook his head and spoke softly with a smile:

"This is mistaken. At present, only the Insect Sage is in peril. The other two Sages have not yet intervened—how could there be a breach of promise?"

Hearing this evasive reply, the White Emperor's eyes darkened with a hint of danger:

"It seems you truly believe in the strength of these three, thinking that merely they could conquer the Western Garrison City."

With that, the White Emperor closed his eyes and ceased watching the battle below.

Seeing this attitude, the hunched elder cast a weary glance at Tian Yuan, silently asking for his opinion.

The White Emperor was no mere pawn to be manipulated. If the Great Inland Sages did not appear, he would not intervene—no matter the outcome, failure or not, he would not step forward.

Feeling the glance from beside him, Tian Yuan's serene, indifferent face showed no emotion. He spoke calmly:

"White Emperor, once those three forces drive the Imperial Sage from the Prefecture, I will step forward and lead the charge."

"Are you certain?" The White Emperor's eyes half-opened.

"The Master differs from me—he never plays jokes." The hunched old man replied in a strange, grating laugh.

The White Emperor glanced at him:

"Meaning, are you certain those three can force the saint of the Imperial Household to appear?"

"Hmm."

The hunched old man hesitated, but upon glancing down at the ghostly youth hidden in the shadows below, he smiled again:

"It should be possible.

'White Emperor, you too must be unable to perceive the aura of that young man, correct?'"