Chapter 1289: Dao Qiong Cang, you can make a choice now

“Rumble!”

As the Yu Hai Shen Ji flashed with light, everyone seemed to be thrust back into the terror of being dominated by the deep sea beneath Gu Yin Ya.

Vast waters descended from the heavens, cascading like a waterfall and surging in all directions.

The seawater flooded into Shen Mian Valley, submerged Qing Swamp, poured into the Blood Realm, and sought to extinguish the boiling volcanoes of Jue Jin Fire Domain...

In an instant, before anyone could react, not just the nine great forbidden zones, but the entire Xu Kong Dao was engulfed by the deep sea.

On the ruins of Zui Yi Dian, shattered debris and rubble were hurled into the air by tsunami-like waves hundreds of feet high, with people tossed about like drifting boats, bobbing helplessly on the currents.

“Gurgle...”

One water bubble after another materialized out of nowhere, imprisoning hundreds of Lian Ling Shi and eliciting cries of agony from drowning.

“Shen Hai!”

“This is the Shen Hai from under Gu Yin Ya!”

“The Jin Fa Boundary! My Ling Yuan is immobilized again, damn it—am I going to be drained dry once more?”

“To hell with the water ghost, I curse you... gurgle gurgle...”

Curses echoed incessantly.

Even though most of the Lian Ling Shi on Xu Kong Dao at that moment hadn’t crossed the deep sea under Gu Yin Ya, but had sneaked in after the island fully settled in the Yun Lun Mountains, they had still heard the stories of the previous sacrifices during the island’s opening—tales of Zhan Dao and Tai Xu.

Now, with the story unfolding on themselves, it had become a catastrophe.

Those who had experienced a similar ordeal before were filled with despair in their eyes.

Those encountering the deep sea for the first time were plunged into endless panic.

“What’s happening?”

“How could the inner island’s rules be summoned?”

Above Duo Yuan, Mo Di Hei Long reacted swiftly. Sensing something amiss, it had already carried Xu Xiao Shou high into the sky.

Yet, the deep sea waters came from above, and no matter how high Mo Di Hei Long flew, it was like being grabbed by underwater ghosts, dragged into the drowning trap.

“It really is the Jin Fa Boundary!”

A massive water bubble enveloped the dragon’s body. Realizing its holy power could no longer be used and was leaking away—though the loss wasn’t greater than the gain—Mo Di Hei Long felt a brief panic, showing its surprise.

It had never understood the water ghost’s complex schemes, and even if explained, it wouldn’t have grasped them.

But this wave of attacks made Mo Di Hei Long completely reevaluate the Tai Xu human known as the water ghost.

The ability to communicate with the inner island on such a scale—was that something a normal Tai Xu could achieve?

He might as well be called Ba Zun An! How could it be just some obscure nobody like “water ghost”?

“This...”

On the dragon’s head, Xu Xiao Shou was once again trapped in a water bubble. Feeling his Ling Yuan turn as still as dead water, unable to move and continuing to drain, he sighed deeply, only to choke on a mouthful of water.

“Yu Hai Shen Ji!”

“This is the true Yu Hai Shen Ji!”

No need for any water system insights or prior rain setups.

Just a single thought, combined with the wielder’s power, and the water ghost could summon such a vast ocean!

Most crucially, it tied back to what the water ghost had said earlier...

“He’s always been able to perfectly control the Ci Mian Gate? He doesn’t need to reach the Ban Sheng realm at all?”

“That makes sense—if he couldn’t do that, why would there be a Jin Fa Boundary in the Shen Hai under Gu Yin Ya?”

“The dean once said that in this world, he only knows of three places with Jin Fa Boundaries: the inner island, Dead Sea, and Sheng Xuan Gate...”

“So, the water ghost’s earlier pretense of ‘exerting all his effort to activate the Ci Mian Gate’ was all a setup for this moment, to trap Dao Qiong Cang?”

Piecing together all the details sent chills through his heart.

Xu Xiao Shou finally saw just how “vindictive” and scheming the water ghost truly was!

“The giant statue in Zhen Huang Dian once said that the Ci Mian Gate was lost a day before my past self... I got that information, and so did the people of Sheng Shen Hall... But if that were true, there wouldn’t be a Jin Fa Boundary under Gu Yin Ya—that’s point one!”

“Point two: Only a Ban Sheng can activate the Ci Mian Gate, but water system insights can break the shackles... Though I don’t know where that rumor came from, the Ci Mian Gate has been in the ‘Yu Ling Di’s hands from the start, and ‘Yu Ling Di’ is the water ghost... Even if it changed hands, on Xu Kong Dao, the only one who masters insights is the water ghost—no one else can verify it... So, whatever is said is just what the water ghost decides.”

“Finally, since the water ghost got the Ci Mian Gate before Xu Kong Dao descended and still dared to explain so much to Yan Wu Se right under Dao Qiong Cang’s nose, most of that was a bluff...”

“That means the real plan between Ba Zun An and the water ghost isn’t just to break the inner island seal of Xu Kong Dao, pull out the two main arms of the Ten-Person Council, and grab a few more Ban Sheng slots for the holy slaves—it’s also to use this small information gap to trap Dao Qiong Cang, ideally burying him completely on Xu Kong Dao!”

In a flash of insight, Xu Xiao Shou was so shocked he choked on another gulp of cold water.

The water ghost wasn’t joking—his ambitions were huge enough to want to kill Dao Qiong Cang here and eliminate the threat forever!

Glancing around, Xu Kong Dao was entirely submerged in the deep sea.

Only the water ghost, lord of the deep sea, wielded the Shen Ji and held the golden beast mask, soaring above it all.

In this deep sea, the one most affected by the water bubbles’ draining power was Dao Qiong Cang.

Without even needing to sense it, Xu Xiao Shou could see with his own eyes that Dao Qiong Cang, with his powers sealed by the Jin Fa Boundary, was helplessly watching his strength rapidly fade.

In just a few breaths, even the Zhan Dao below hadn’t been drained dry, but Dao Qiong Cang’s face had turned pale.

His Qi Hai was completely depleted!

The water bubble’s draining force had started siphoning his life force!

Ci Mian Gate, water system insights, Yu Hai Shen Ji... Their combination was devastating!

“Goodbye, Dao Qiong Cang.”

Above the deep sea, the water ghost, striding over the waves, suddenly held a Feng Yuan Spear in his hand, drawn back like a fully pulled bowstring.

Even if his earlier fear of Dao Qiong Cang was ninety-nine percent an act,

Even if the water ghost’s grand plan had succeeded, giving him the upper hand, and under the Jin Fa Boundary, Dao Qiong Cang was as weak as a chick,

The water ghost dared not relax his vigilance in the slightest.

He drew the newly contracted ownerless Feng Yuan Spear, knowing that under this supreme divine weapon’s sealing power, even if Dao Qiong Cang had backup plans, he couldn’t break the double seal and escape.

Today, Dao Qiong Cang was doomed!

“Swoosh—”

The Feng Yuan Spear didn’t hesitate for a second as it was hurled out.

The spear pierced into the deep sea, splitting the waters like an enraged dragon devouring its prey, instantly closing in on Dao Qiong Cang.

“Decree!”

At the critical moment, Dao Qiong Cang used every trick he had.

But engraving Tian Ji Dao patterns required holy power, and activating the various defensive holy artifacts, spirit talismans, and treasures on his body also needed holy power.

Under the Jin Fa Boundary, Dao Qiong Cang tried them all... and none worked!

“Is this the taste of Dead Sea?” A trace of despair flashed in Dao Qiong Cang’s eyes.

“Boom!”

The Feng Yuan Spear brutally pierced his chest.

The luxurious robes on Dao Qiong Cang shattered in an instant, along with those defensive spirit artifacts that needed activation.

The passive ones lit up with patterns.

But under the Jin Fa Boundary, these defenses that tried to resist were suppressed into nothingness before even touching the Feng Yuan Spear’s sealing power.

All defenses were futile.

A Ban Sheng reduced to weakness, as vulnerable as if naked.

The Feng Yuan Spear didn’t slow down at all, piercing through Dao Qiong Cang’s heart and dragging his body toward the ground, slamming him into a deep pit.

A muffled echo rippled out.

Crimson blood stained the deep sea and seared itself into the onlookers’ eyes.

“How is that possible?!”

The battle unfolded at Zui Yi Dian, and even without spirit mirror images, too many witnessed it, leaving them all stunned.

“Did the water ghost just spear Dao Qiong Cang to death?”

“Is Tian Kong Zhi Cheng really the burial ground for Dao Qiong Cang, the Ten Zun Seat?”

“One misstep leads to eternal regret—the unfathomable Dao Qiong Cang finally met his match?”

“Ahahaha, good riddance... but so tragic. How could the hall master just vanish like that?” A certain Li surname observer nearly burst out laughing.

On the dragon’s head, Xu Xiao Shou’s gaze lost focus, his mind briefly blank.

“Did the water ghost succeed?”

“This can’t be right!”

Deep down, he didn’t believe Dao Qiong Cang could be killed so easily.

But with the situation like this, even if it was just a Ban Sheng avatar of Dao Qiong Cang, it should be gone.

Under the Jin Fa Boundary, a non-body cultivator or ancient sword cultivator Ban Sheng was as weak as a mortal.

The water ghost’s scheme had reached this point, slaying a saint with Tai Xu.

Regardless of the final outcome or whether Dao Qiong Cang could revive, it counted as a complete success.

This was almost the perfect teaching moment!

The water ghost, single-handedly, shattered the illusion of the Ten Zun Seats being flawless and eternally undefeated.

He had performed the act of slaying saints on Xu Kong Dao more than once, so people should be used to it by now.

But this time, even the enigmatic Dao Qiong Cang was among his prey—how could that not leave everyone in utter disbelief?

“Defeating, capturing, killing... these aren’t even on the same level of difficulty, let alone a Tai Xu against a Ban Sheng!”

“What kind of existence is the water ghost?”

Countless hearts were shaken, etching the image of the golden beast mask man above the deep sea into their memories, vowing never to provoke him—no matter if there was a future or not.

Only the water ghost himself, seeing the Feng Yuan Spear truly kill Dao Qiong Cang, saw his smile fade, his vigilance intensifying.

“You’re not Dao Qiong Cang!”

He looked down from on high, his eyes like slashing blades, as if trying to rip away the disguise of the pierced, dying figure.

“Wah!”

The nearly lifeless Dao Qiong Cang opened his mouth in a cry of unbearable pain, like the wail of a newborn infant.

“It hurts so much, little Qi hurts so bad, it’s killing little Qi, boo boo boo.”

“Old Dao, old Dao, save me...”

With a bang, the Dao Qiong Cang impaled in the pit exploded into smoke, transforming into the form of Tian Ji Jing Ling Qi Hao.

This adorable little Tian Ji Jing Ling now had its chest completely run through by the Feng Yuan Spear.

Its tiny body was so small that the spear nearly split it in half.

Its once rosy cheeks turned ashen and twisted in agony as it vomited repeatedly.

It seemed to be retching blood, but after a long while, it remembered it had no “blood”—just getting too into the role.

“Boo boo boo, little Qi is so weak. If little Qi could be a bit stronger...” The Tian Ji Jing Ling shifted from self-mockery to self-reproach, feeling its life force rapidly ebbing away.

A Tian Ji puppet’s life came from the Tian Ji array, which drew power from Tian Ji principles.

The Feng Yuan Spear had cut that off, so without a life source, it was naturally fading fast.

“It’s... little Qi?”

But no one cared about little Qi’s life or death.

Not just Xu Xiao Shou, but all the Zhan Dao and Tai Xu trapped in the water bubbles at Zui Yi Dian were stunned, if only briefly.

They couldn’t control their own fates, yet in their final moments, they witnessed this bizarre scene.

Dao Qiong Cang had become the Tian Ji Jing Ling?

A switch of the cat for the prince?

Shedding the shell like a golden cicada?

But this was inside the Jin Fa Boundary!

Even if they hadn’t seen Dao Qiong Cang make any move to swap identities, how could he have done it?

“Sorry about that, little Qi.”

With a sigh, another Qi Hao hopped onto the shoulder of the Tian Ji Jing Ling.

This Qi Hao popped with a sound, transforming into Dao Qiong Cang, holding the Tian Ji Si Nan, looking dignified and grand.

The newly appeared Dao Qiong Cang seemed to exist in a separate world.

The deep sea was powerful, but its forces couldn’t penetrate the Sheng Domain to affect him in his special Tian Ji world.

The most straightforward gap between Tai Xu and Ban Sheng was the realm difference!

Dao Qiong Cang had exploited that to the fullest—a single Sheng Domain neutralized the water ghost’s major assault!

“Is Dao Qiong Cang little Qi, and little Qi the real Dao Qiong Cang?” This twist left all observers dumbfounded.

So, when did the switch happen? Everyone fell into thought.

Even Mo Di Hei Long’s eyes showed brief confusion.

But with its external brain, it chose to give up thinking and asked in a testing tone:

“Xu Xiao Shou, can you make sense of this?”

On the dragon’s head, Xu Xiao Shou paused for a moment before suddenly realizing:

“It wasn’t a temporary switch!”

“From the moment Dao Qiong Cang set foot on the island, he wasn’t Dao Qiong Cang—it was Qi Hao disguised as him...”

“Conversely, the little Qi we saw before, showing anger, fear, obedience, cuteness, and all sorts of emotions, was the real Dao Qiong Cang?”

Xu Xiao Shou looked at the Dao Qiong Cang standing aloof from the deep sea, dignified and serious, but struggled to reconcile it with the foot-stomping, pouting, coquettish Tian Ji Jing Ling he’d seen before.

They were clearly two utterly incompatible life forms, with such a stark divide.

But eliminating all impossibilities, the remaining answer, no matter how unlikely, was the only truth!

So...

Was Dao Qiong Cang really flamboyant enough to even play the role of Qi Hao?

And in the process, did he feel no shame at all?

“Ah! My eyes!” Xu Xiao Shou felt tainted and desperately needed a pair of eyes that hadn’t seen the Tian Ji Jing Ling Qi Hao acting cute.

He finally recalled the special nickname people from Ba Zun An’s era had given Dao Qiong Cang—one he hadn’t understood before.

“Sao Bao Lao Dao...”

Above the deep sea, the water ghost had almost simultaneously reached the same conclusion as Xu Xiao Shou.

His lips parted slightly, his eye corners twitched, and even his toes curled as he held back for a long time, finally managing a brief sigh:

“Not bad for you...”

Dao Qiong Cang felt no shame, reveling in it.

From the moment news of the Jin Fa Boundary under Gu Yin Ya spread, he had suspected a lot.

And now, this verification proved it—the Ci Mian Gate was already perfectly under the water ghost’s control.

Using a decoy to test was better than losing a Ban Sheng avatar right upon entering Xu Kong Dao, right?

That would be such a loss of face!

As for little Qi...

Though he hated to admit it so heartlessly, it was true he could recreate one just like Er Hao, since the data was all there.

Little Qi was in the deep sea, sealed by the Jin Fa Boundary, and Dao Qiong Cang, standing outside, couldn’t easily save it.

He could interfere, but any power entering the deep sea would be erased, even holy power.

If the water ghost really wanted little Qi dead, another spear would end it.

However, as long as Dao Qiong Cang himself stayed out of it, he had more ways to break the situation—to shatter this “deep sea” plus “Jin Fa Boundary” trap.

“Tian Ji Thirty-Six Styles, Great Extinction Technique!”

In the state isolated from the deep sea by the Sheng Domain, Dao Qiong Cang twirled the star ladle, and the Tian Ji Si Nan clicked with mechanisms.

The sky unfolded with a vast celestial scroll, covering the entire deep sea.

If the deep sea was like a ball with the supreme Jin Fa Boundary rules inside, where even Ban Sheng couldn’t intervene,

Then Dao Qiong Cang, now outside, only needed to exile the space containing that ball and extinguish the ball along with the exiled space using Tian Ji power.

Thus, the deep sea would be broken, and the Jin Fa Boundary would turn to nothing.

“Decree!”

With a point of his fingers, the celestial scroll enveloped everything. Those in the deep sea felt a strange shift:

They were still in the water bubbles, yet the suffocating drowning sensation vanished.

At the same time, the draining power from the deep sea disappeared.

The enormous deep sea world that had submerged all of Xu Kong Dao was instantly extinguished by Dao Qiong Cang’s Tian Ji power!

A Ban Sheng acting outside the deep sea—there was no way the Tai Xu water ghost could resist.

The water ghost knew this well.

As soon as Dao Qiong Cang moved, the water ghost, who had been wary that this flamboyant old Dao wouldn’t die so easily, acted too.

He didn’t bother trying to counter a saint-level Tian Ji master’s ability—that would be like an egg against a rock.

So, the water ghost focused on his own tasks.

At the exact moment the deep sea world was extinguished, the water ghost’s face turned cold as he made four swift moves!

First, he hurled the Yu Hai Shen Ji, smashing it toward the Ban Sheng slot above Rao Yao Yao’s head in Duo Yuan.

Then, with a wave, the Ci Mian Gate’s power erupted, and the Feng Yuan Spear stirred remotely, obliterating the treacherous Tian Ji Jing Ling Qi Hao on the spot, leaving no trace.

The ancient gate in the sky above Miracle Forest opened and closed in time. The startled Si Tu Yong Ren had just escaped from Ba Zun An and Mei Si Ren when he was suddenly seized and lifted, his face filled with despair.

Simultaneously, the water ghost flashed to the Jue Jin Fire Domain’s location. Under the gaze of a certain naked, shocked, and blushing figure, he stepped on the volcanic lava, unleashed water system insights, and blood-bound the Ban Sheng slot!

“Three choices...”

“Dao Qiong Cang, make your decision!”