<h4>Chapter 945: Insurer</h4>


    The yellow energy bubble grewrger andrger until it covered Hao Xuan''s brain and spinal cord.


    He closed his eyes and felt the changes taking ce within his body. His heartbeat quickened and beads of sweat formed on his forehead and back, almostpletely drenching his shirt.


    The color of the energy bubble started to deepen until it looked like molten gold. One by one the miniature pearls resting on each of the other three leaves also shattered until the entire flower had shrunk to less than half its original size.


    But while all this was happening no one even noticed the strange energy changes other than two individuals. The first one, surprisingly, was Feng Huang. Hoe opened his eyes for the first time since Hao Xuan had arrived and looked right at him.


    His eyes shone with violent carmine-colored lights that brightened and dimmed on their own.


    The second person, unsurprisingly, was the Abysswalker. He who had been sitting on his throne silently watching everything unfold sat upright for the first time. His eyes narrowed slightly but other than that he didn''t make a move.


    When Hao Xuan opened his eyes again thest of the gold-colored energy dissipated.


    *Beep*


    ''Warning! Warning!''


    ''Extreme Spatio-Temporal Fluctuations Detected.''


    ''Body functions returning to normal.''


    ''Blood pressure increased by a factor of 3.''


    Baracus''s automated warning system was activated by the sudden outburst of energies and the changes within his body. A momentter Baracus himself also spoke up.


    [Conditions for ''Scenario Three'' have been satisfied. No abnormalities were detected. Logging data...]


    ''Scenario three'' was how Baracus referred to this ability that Hao Xuan had yet to name. By measuring the constant waves of temporal energy he could stipte that the ability was activated and record all data of the ''time jumps'' for future reference.


    While Hao Xuan was trying to regain control of his stampeding heartbeat, Baracus began asking all the standard questions.


    [How many iterations were conducted?]


    Hao Xuan rubbed his temples in an unsessful attempt at lowering the intensity of the headache that always followed after using the ability. He took in a deep breath and recalled each and every jump that he had just gone through.


    ''21 times.''


    Even Baracus was a little surprised by the answer. That meant he died 21 times and returned for thest, 22nd time just now.


    [Were all attempts unsessful?]


    ''No, I lived through three of them but didn''t like the oue so had to kill myself to reset.''


    [21 runs is a lot higher than thest time. Were there any significant changes?]


    ''It''s because I died so quickly so many times. But the ability''s capacity did increase by a small margin halfway through, I could feel it. Unfortunately, I have to use it to make it stronger, which means I have to die over and over again.''


    [Any other details?]


    ''Like what? You want to know how I died?''


    [Affirmative, that could be helpful.]


    ''Alright. Of the 21 deaths, 16 took ce during the match. I survived only once before dying shortly after. And I died twice more while trying to ''talk'' it out with these guys, that was before the match even started. For the remaining three I managed to make it out but not in one piece.''


    [So you haven''t made a single sessful escape?]


    ''Not really, no.''


    [What is your n this time around?]


    ''You''ll see. If I am right, I will have to wait a while longer.''


    By the time Hao Xuan finished talking with Baracus, the apuse had all but died down from Dai Zhi''s speech. Now they were all looking at Hao Xuan to choose his "sparring" partner.


    Hao Xuan had already gone through this exact same scene more than 20 times but he still couldn''t get used to it. In fact, it made him even angrier when he thought about their underhanded tactics and the position they had forced him into.


    He stood up and met Stasa''s re head-on. Even the projection showed his face in the middle of the colosseum.


    "This might be a simple match to test our skills but I must warn you, I cannot hold back in the heat of the moment. You might seriously get hurt. Do you still want to fight?"


    He had chosen his opponent. Stasa was the one who was going to help him get out of here alive.


    "HAHAHA!" Stasa roared withughter like many of the others around him, "I would like to say the same to you. I am far too experienced with the de so things could get out of hand. I take full responsibility!"


    He agreed at once but then Hao Xuan turned towards thest person anyone thought to address.


    "No, I would like the Lord Inquisitor to act as our insurer. Being a high-ranking member of the Church Of the Holy Light, I trust his word above all others."


    A loud bang resounded from Dai Zhi''s table as it broke into pieces.


    "Hao Xuan, watch your tongue! How dare you directly address the Lord Inquisitor!?"