Looking at the ever-widening smile on Huang Xiaolong's face, the Departing Sword Sage frowned subconsciously, and light of hesitation flickered in his eyes. He still nodded his head in agreement, "Fine, I'll place a bet with you!"
"But we must first swear an oath!"
"Of course!"
Soon, Huang Xiaolong and the Departing Sword Sage finished swearing an oath consecutively.
After hearing Huang Xiaolong promise that he would not use any holy grade ancient talismans, or saint artifacts, or any other treasures, the Departing Sword Sage's tight chest relaxed.
Wu Wo had some unease in his heart as he knew that Huang Xiaolong t had to have a trump card for doing so. Wu Wo didn't believe that a Seventh Order Venerable could withstand the power from his finger without any external help!
He was the Departing Sword Sage!
If a Seventh Order Venerable could withstand the attack force from his finger, then he would admit his defeat.
Then again, although he didn't think a Seventh Order Venerable was capable of withstanding the power of his attack, he still did not dare to be careless. So, he decided to go all out in this one finger-attack!
"Kiddo Thirteen, are you ready?" The Departing Sword Sage stared fixedly at Huang Xiaolong as he asked.
"Make your move." Huang Xiaolong answered with nonchalance.
"Good!" The Departing Sword Sage bellowed and raised his index finger, thrusting at Huang Xiaolong.
"One Point Clear Sky!"
"Annihilate!" Tiny spheres of holy light gathered into the shape of a finger, as if it was a pillar that was propping up the sky, and it slammed down on Huang Xiaolong. Everything in its path was destroyed.
Although the Departing Sword Sage was best at the sword, the One Point Clear Sky was a sophisticated high-level holy martial art. At full force, the power of his finger attack could overwhelm the majority of First Heaven True Saints.
As the One Point Clear Sky finger attack fell like a great pillar striking the ground, everything within a hundred million miles radius was pinned to the spot from the pressure.
Muffled popping noises sounded from Huang Xiaolong's body. These were noises of his breaking bones. Although Huang Xiaolong possessed three saint physiques, and his physical defenses could be described as monstrous, the term monstrous was subjective to who his enemy was. Against a True Saint expert's full force one-finger attack, Huang Xiaolong's so-called monstrous physical defenses were fragile as glass. Blood red lines appeared on the surface of Huang Xiaolong's entire body.
After seeing this, Departing Sword Sage's suspicion and unease reduced significantly.
'Did I over think right now?' He thought inwardly.
"Brat," Just as he uttered one word, something suddenly shot out from the crown of Huang Xiaolong's head, exuding an overwhelming dragon might.
"This?!" The Departing Sword Sage's eyes protruded in shock, and he nearly tumbled to the ground.
"Holy-Holy soul?!" Just as he had spoken his words, he saw Huang Xiaolong's dragon-natured holy soul go straight towards his One Point Clear Sky.
In the next second, consecutive booms thundered.
Booming sounds continued and space became distorted. There were chaotic space cracks and destructive energy spiralling into tornadoes everywhere.
Fissures ran across the land, littered with craters as mountain peaks disappeared.
Finally, the One Point Clear Sky attack dissipated.
The Departing Sword Sage's body wobbled slightly.
Huang Xiaolong's dragon-natured holy soul's holy light had dimmed considerably, and it was at this time the Holy World's origin energy came falling down on Huang Xiaolong. In less than a breath, his dragon-natured holy soul was shining brilliantly again.
"You, you, no, no, no, not possible! How is this possible! Absolutely impossible!" The Departing Sword Sage's bewildered gaze was fixed on the holy soul above Huang Xiaolong's head. He looked agitated to the extreme and even borderline manic.
He got stimulated. Huang Xiaolong was clearly an early Seventh Order Venerable, but how the h*ll did an early Seventh Order Venerable possess a holy soul?!
Wasn't it said only True Saint experts had holy souls?
Probably since the Holy World had come into existence, the Departing Sword Sage had never heard of anyone possessing a holy soul before entering True Saint Realm, even after counting prodigious geniuses like Heng Sha!
Huang Xiaolong retrieved his dragon-natured holy soul as if he hadn't noticed Wu Wo's manic expression and said, "Now, I've already withstood your one-finger attack. It's time you fulfill your part of the bargain."
Shock and doubt flashed across the Departing Sword Sage Wu Wo's face, while he was still looking at Huang Xiaolong in disbelief. Great waves of shock were still rolling in his chest, as he was unable to calm down. That sight was seemingly etched into his mind for a lifetime.
It took the Departing Sword Sage a long time to calm his roiling emotions a little. He paused in hesitation before asking, "You, your holy soul, how did you cultivate it?"
"Are you really an early Seventh Order Venerable?"
Huang Xiaolong spoke honestly, "I guarantee that it's genuine. As for how I got my holy soul… I had a fortuitous adventure. Moreover, my soul is different from others. Later, due to some unique transformation, it became a holy soul!"
The Departing Sword Sage's eyes were wide open, "Just, just like that? Due to some unique transformation?"
Through a unique transformation, one's soul could become a holy soul?!
Just, just so simple?
However, the Departing Sword Sage grasped one of the key points, that Huang Xiaolong's soul was different from others.
"Soul is different?" The Departing Sword Sage asked for verification.
A dozen minutes later, Huang Xiaolong continued on his way back on the Dual-Pupiled Profound Beast. This time, behind him, there was an additional person—the Departing Sword Sage.
Almost an hour later, Huang Xiaolong was back at the place where Lin Xiaoying and the others were located. Before he arrived, Lin Xiaoying had already shouted from afar, "Very good, Thirteen. I told you not to wander off too far and you didn't obey!" In the next second, Huang Xiaolong saw a fuming Lin Xiaoying flying towards him in a huff.
Huang Xiaolong resisted the urge to turn around and escape.
When Lin Xiaoying noticed the Dual-Pupiled Profound Beast under Huang Xiaolong, her eyes widened in shock, "This, you, it's that Dual-Pupiled Profound Beast! You, where did you find it?"
Then her tone changed to one of interrogation, "How did you capture this Dual-Pupiled Profound Beast alive?!"
Lin Xiaoying knew even she had no way of capturing the Dual-Pupiled Profound Beast alive.
Huang Xiaolong chuckled, "It's a glutton like you. I merely gave it some origin spiritual pill, and successfully tricked it back."
Hearing Huang Xiaolong say that she was gluttonous, Lin Xiaoying shot him a murderous glare. Naturally, she doesn't believe that Huang Xiaolong had 'tricked' the Dual-Pupiled Profound Beast back with several origin spiritual pills.
"And this one is?" Lin Xiaoying was slightly baffled looking at the Departing Sword Sage behind Huang Xiaolong. The Departing Sword Sage had disguised his original facial features with an illusion.
"A new little brother I accepted." Huang Xiaolong explained.
"Little brother?!" Lin Xiaoying had not expected this answer.
Even the Departing Sword Sage was taken aback by Huang Xiaolong's introduction of him, but he merely shot Huang Xiaolong a 'grievous' look, and then lowered his head in acquiesce.
"Thirteen, good job. You went out for a little stroll and came back with the Dual-Pupiled Profound Beast by tricking it to follow you, and you accepted a little brother as well." Lin Xiaoying teased.
"Of course, don't you know whose little brother I am." Huang Xiaolong grinned.
Perhaps it was because they had experienced difficult times together, and after getting along, it was common for Huang Xiaolong and Lin Xiaoying to joke around in this manner.
But this sight was another shock to the Departing Sword Sage. Lin Xiaoying didn't recognize him, but he naturally recognized Lin Xiaoying. He truly could not understand why one of the Clear Snow Palace's lofty three beauties Lin Xiaoying would be so close to a Seventh Order Venerable brat. Didn't the rumors say that Lin Xiaoying barely spared a side glance at the various holy grounds' Holy Princes?
Roughly ten days later, Li Li and the other three female disciples had fully recovered from their injuries.