Chapter 1519: Momentarily Possessed, Qiao Yusheng Boldly Digs Up Elder Zhong

"Is that it?"

In the Five Domains, almost every Spirit Refiner wore a look of shock.

In the Ba Gong, Xiao Qixiu and Qiao Qianzhi exchanged glances, both seeing immense shock in each other’s eyes.

Chopping the Dao wasn’t terrifying.

The Life Ao Yi’s chopping wasn't terrifying either.

After all, it seemed magical, but it was happening to Xu Xiaoshou on his own body.

Even if it was hard for ordinary people to accept, as descendants of the Sheng Gong Four Sons, Xiao and Qiao could endure and understand it.

But before chopping the Dao, Xu Xiaoshou had done something utterly absurd, and that was terrifying!

"Space Ao Yi?" Xiao Qixiu scanned around, whispering through voice transmission, hardly believing what he saw.

"Yes." Qiao Qianzhi nodded solemnly.

"Are you sure you didn’t see wrong?"

"Absolutely not. That 'diagram' was on par with Ye Xiaotian’s, practically the same level…"

"Are you sure?" Xiao Qixiu repeated like a broken record, but before getting a reply, he came to his own conclusion.

Old Qiao couldn’t be wrong.

Xiao Qixiu hesitated, trying to deceive himself: "Is it because of the Mimic?"

"A facade!" Qiao Qianzhi shook his head. "The Mimic is absolutely just a facade!"

"So he’s relying purely on his comprehension?" Xiao Qixiu was even more baffled upon hearing this.

Outsiders might think Xu Xiaoshou’s comprehension was exceptional, since he mastered various paths.

But people inside Tian Sang Spirit Palace knew the truth: apart from certain areas like swords, where Xu Xiaoshou excelled, in others like fire attributes or space attributes, he was actually average.

This "average" wasn’t compared to ordinary Spirit Refiners, but to geniuses of the same level, or even Ye Xiaotian.

At least in the space path alone, Xu Xiaoshou was too ordinary, even downright unremarkable.

Yet Ye Xiaotian had taken decades to comprehend the Space Ao Yi!

And someone even more mediocre than him, Xu Xiaoshou, went from nothing to something with just a drop of blood and about ten breaths?

"No, no, no, I need to sort this out…" Xiao Qixiu felt his mind itching, like something was about to shatter—oh, it was his worldview!

"Is it possible that the Mimic played a big role, and Ye Xiaotian’s sacred blood had something to do with it?" Xiao Qixiu turned to Qiao Qianzhi, who was staring thoughtfully at the mirror, and asked through voice transmission again.

"No." Qiao Qianzhi flatly rejected the idea, not even bothering to explain.

If the Mimic were that miraculous, it wouldn’t just be one of the Ten Anomalous Weapons; the Anomalous wouldn’t have lost it due to insufficient power.

Even if it only handled one attribute, the Anomalous could nurture talents in that attribute worldwide, sacrificing them one by one until they pieced together an Ao Yi.

But the Anomalous hadn’t done that.

Clearly, that path was a dead end.

Because the Mimic wasn’t that powerful… Xiao Qixiu would soon see that himself.

So, if Xu Xiaoshou was using the Mimic as a cover, what path was he really on?

Qiao Qianzhi stared intently at the Chuandao Jing. On it, Xu Xiaoshou had finished his breakthrough and was sitting with eyes closed, adjusting his breath, spiritual energy surging around him, looking full of vitality.

"Any results?" Xiao Qixiu leaned over.

In Qiao Qianzhi’s mind flashed the diagrams of Ao Yi that Xu Xiaoshou had chopped away, some illusory, some solid…

But they had all truly existed!

"He must have a method to light up the 'diagram'… and then feed it back to himself?" Qiao Qianzhi murmured doubtfully, lifting his gaze.

"What do you mean?" Xiao Qixiu didn’t understand at all.

Qiao Qianzhi glanced at him, then lowered his eyes again, as if gaining some insight, muttering to himself: "Old Xiao, what if…"

"What?" Xiao Qixiu immediately leaned in closer.

Qiao Qianzhi gestured with his fingers, clearly falling into a state of epiphany or obsession:

"What if there’s a possibility like this?"

"I’m just an innate Spirit Array Master right now, but I accidentally got a sacred-level Spirit Array diagram, and I treat it as the 'standard answer'."

"Even though I can’t comprehend the essence of this 'standard answer' yet, my talent is in precise control, so I can roughly replicate this sacred-level Spirit Array, and the effect is almost the same…"

"In that case, am I still an innate Spirit Array Master, or a sacred-level one?"

Xiao Qixiu was completely baffled.

We’re talking about Xu Xiaoshou here—why are you bringing this up? Wait… this analogy?

A flash of light appeared in Qiao Qianzhi’s eyes as he suddenly looked up, nearly bumping mouths with Xiao Qixiu, and continued gesturing:

"I take the standard answer and use it first, get strong first, and gradually digest and comprehend its essence along the way—is that possible?"

"Stepping back, isn’t this 'using' process also a 'experiencing' process? And haven’t I already skipped the innate level and reached the sacred realm?"

"Because that’s the standard answer! A direct path to the Semi-Sage standard answer!"

Xiao Qixiu wiped his mouth and stepped back repeatedly, now the one who couldn’t follow: "What are you trying to say?"

"Answer, answer…"

Qiao Qianzhi murmured, his eyes growing brighter, his pupils darting around: "That’s it, so where does the standard answer come from? What if it’s not standard? Wouldn’t I be stuck at the sacred realm?"

"Old Qiao?"

"Old Qiao! Snap out of it!"

Xiao Qixiu felt this guy wasn’t having an epiphany—he was on the verge of madness… And stuck at the sacred realm? You haven’t even broken through to Wangzuo yet!

He slapped Qiao Qianzhi across the face. "Wake up! We’re in the middle of something serious!"

The slap jolted Qiao Qianzhi awake. His eyes suddenly fixed on the distant mountains behind the Chuandao Jing.

The mountains stretched on, dotted with trees, encircling villages and towns, extending into the Ba Gong, forming a "natural diagram";

The people on the roads, the mirrors in the markets, the grassy mountain paths winding to the horizon, tracing out "natural patterns".

"Hee hee hee ha ha ha…"

Qiao Qianzhi burst into laughter, his voice growing more manic and unbridled, startling everyone in the Ba Gong watching the mirror.

He clutched his head, shaking it wildly with a rhythmic chant:

"Heaven’s diagram, life patterns, innate sanctification…"

"I’ve got it, I understand, my Dao is complete!"

His speech sped up, his eyes vacant, as he rattled off at breakneck speed:

"All things manifest as diagrams and patterns, all actions are external displays…"

"View with stone, and all become stone; view with sage, and all are sage…"

"But to reach Ancestral God Realm, one must discern the Ancestral God Diagram; to seek diagram patterns, emulate heaven and earth first…"

"Law of man, law of scenery, law of heaven, law of rules, law of others, law of self, law of heart, law of truth…"

"Manifest spirit, manifest soul, manifest essence, manifest god, manifest intent, manifest energy, manifest momentum, manifest thought…"

His voice grew louder!

The content more deranged!

"Are you out of your mind?" Xiao Qixiu’s head spun from the rant; he hadn’t understood a word and slapped back.

Suddenly, a surge of sacred power erupted in the Ba Gong.

The Spirit Refiners in front of the Chuandao Jing, the Feng family mirror holders, Fu Xing, Fu Yin Hong, and everyone else… every living being blacked out and fainted together.

"Damn! Old Qiao, you…"

Xiao Qixiu was sent flying, staring in shock at the surging sacred power waves around Qiao Qianzhi.

This was insane!

Was Qiao Qianzhi about to become a Semi-Sage?

But that didn’t make sense—this guy was only at Wangzuo…

From the time he went mad in the Sheng Gong and decided to switch to the Diagram Pattern path, to leaving Sheng Gong, to arriving at Tian Sang Spirit Palace, and up to now, he hadn’t made any progress!

In fact, because he focused solely on research and avoided battles, his combat awareness had regressed. Over decades, he’d only become a grandmaster Spirit Array Master—a worthless Wangzuo-level one!

And now, he was breaking through?

Straight to Semi-Sage?

"You must be crazy!"

Xiao Qixiu was speechless, left with just that phrase.

From Chopping the Dao to Void Semi-Sage, there were so many realms in between that you skipped—how could you leap over them all and achieve sanctification in one go?

Are you Cen Qiaofu?

Can you have a sudden enlightenment too?

In that moment, Xiao Qixiu’s eyes turned red with envy.

Why wasn’t I the one enlightened? What did this Old Qiao do to deserve it? How is he worthy?

"Old Xiao, I’ll head back first." Qiao Qianzhi snapped out of it after the slap, staring at the fluctuations around him, his eyes gleaming.

"Get back here! Sort this out first!" Xiao Qixiu drew his sword and charged, furious.

"No time—I need to go into seclusion. Take my advice…" Qiao Qianzhi couldn’t wait, flying toward Tian Sang Spirit Palace and quickly turning into a distant black dot.

"What advice!" Xiao Qixiu glanced at the fainted people in the Ba Gong; he couldn’t just leave them, so he shouted after him.

"Remember! Don’t become a Semi-Sage, don’t use the Semi-Sage position!"

"Are you nuts?"

"Listen to me, don’t use it—that’s not the… standard answer… the limit… has…"

"What? What are you saying? Then what should I use?" Xiao Qixiu could no longer see him, and the response was increasingly fragmented.

"…" No reply.

"What do I use? Tell me, you madman!"

"…" Still no reply.

Xiao Qixiu took a deep breath and suppressed his anger.

With a flick of his sleeve, spiritual energy formed swords, manifesting the Five Elements and turning into an array, infused with wood attributes.

Soon, the people in the Ba Gong who had been knocked out woke up one by one amid the dense life energy.

"What kind of luck is this? What absurd talent? Just watching a battle and breaking through?" Xiao Qixiu thought more about it and grew more irritated.

Just as he decided to forget this disgusting matter, the people who had just woken up in the Ba Gong shuddered and fainted again.

Sacred intent!

Xiao Qixiu’s heart tightened, but before he could draw his sword.

From the nine heavens above, a faint sacred sound descended, ethereal and elusive, cleansing the soul:

"The gifts of heaven and earth can be used without limit."

Xiao Qixiu’s eyes trembled, and he froze in place, desperately trying to memorize the phrase and force himself into an enlightened state, but he couldn’t.

What does it mean?

The gifts of heaven and earth…

What comes next?

Chopping the Dao!

Xu Xiaoshou’s eyes suddenly flew open, drawing in the surrounding spiritual energy into his Qi Sea, with layers of spatial worlds cycling through reincarnation in his body.

He had broken through…

From Wangzuo Dao Realm to Chopping the Dao, the breakthrough was infinitely easier than imagined, and…

"Passive Points: 71,663,588."

The passive points hadn’t even dropped below seventy million.

After chopping the Dao, Xu Xiaoshou immediately exchanged for a Dao Seed, bound it to the Fire Dao Disc, and planted it in the Dao Field.

"Fire Dao Disc (19)."

"Fire Dao Disc (20)."

It increased by "1" progress!

This proved that even after chopping the Dao, he could use the Dao Field’s function to break through and force an Ao Yi!

"My guess was right—I’m a genius!"

As his mood relaxed, the insights he hadn’t had time to digest flooded in.

The Space Ao Yi was incredibly powerful, especially after chopping the Dao, making all insights even deeper.

Xu Xiaoshou felt that with a single thought, he could teleport across the Five Domains, as long as he had the coordinates beforehand.

"Is that possible?"

It felt too bizarre!

But by entrusting his thoughts to space, with the rules added, he could hide in the Heavenly Dao as a Chopper and extend his thoughts through spatial rules for thousands of miles…

From the Central Domain, Xu Xiaoshou could vaguely see the Eastern Domain’s East Heaven Realm and East Heaven King City!

Everything was extremely blurry, with only some familiar auras standing out, like Dong Ling, Shi Ti, and others.

It was too taxing!

His mental energy was depleting rapidly!

Even with such a long-distance thought projection, his various passive skills at the Sacred Emperor level were struggling to keep up.

He could probably hold on for a few dozen breaths…

But with some heavenly treasures for supplementation, or by opening the Human Path, or greatly enhancing Breath of Life and Devouring Body, maintaining balance wouldn’t be a problem…

Uh, passive skills were still the best!

Even so, Xu Xiaoshou realized how much the Space Ao Yi consumed.

He was now outwardly a Chopper with Sacred Emperor attributes, and even this was draining him badly. Back then, when Ye Xiaotian was captured by the Yellow Springs and couldn’t escape, it wasn’t without reason.

Strong insights didn’t mean strong application, abundant spiritual energy, or high combat power—it just meant a higher ceiling.

At the three Wangzuo realms, even if you comprehended an Ao Yi and used it well, you couldn’t fully unleash its potential.

The true glory of Ao Yi was at the Semi-Sage level!

Master comprehends the Dao, Wangzuo realizes the Dao…

Now, Xu Xiaoshou could add the final line himself: Semi-Sage wields the Dao!

In his current state, his "wielding the Dao" wasn’t refined, but it far surpassed his previous understanding and use of spatial attributes!

As spatial sensing expanded, the world seemed to fit in his palm.

This power was incomparable to before.

Not just East Heaven King City, Xu Xiaoshou could vaguely sense places in the Eastern Domain he had visited, the paths he had walked.

Even as far as Tian Sang Spirit Palace, Bai Ku, and including the Ba Gong, he could see them vaguely…

"Buzz!"

Just then, a sudden premonition struck, and his body tensed.

His spatial perception had probed something secret, startling Xu Xiaoshou into retracting it.

A Semi-Sage!

Had he alarmed a Semi-Sage?

But this Semi-Sage felt a bit weak, and the aura was familiar?

Xu Xiaoshou frowned, sensing it was an acquaintance. He extended his spatial perception further, reaching the Ba Gong, and clearly saw the departing Qiao Qianzhi and the stunned Xiao Qixiu standing there!

"The gifts of heaven and earth can be used without limit…"

The resonant voice echoed from afar, dominating over the Ba Gong where the spectators lay, exuding an aura that swallowed eternity!

"That’s Elder Qiao’s voice… Is he about to become a Semi-Sage?"

Xu Xiaoshou nearly dropped his eyeballs in shock, wondering if he was dreaming.

Elder Qiao seemed so weak!

In his memory, he only slept bored at the first council window.

As Xu Xiaoshou advanced rapidly after leaving the Spirit Palace, Elder Qiao had become incredibly insignificant, almost like someone he could squash with a slap.

It was only at Lone Sound Cliff in the Yun Lun Mountains that Ye Xiaotian mentioned the "Sheng Gong Four Sons," making Xu Xiaoshou realize Elder Qiao had once been a prodigy in the Sheng Gong.

But that was talent!

In terms of combat power…

Wait, even just cultivation-wise, Elder Qiao was still far from Semi-Sage. How could he suddenly be on the verge?

Xu Xiaoshou was astonished that from the Central Domain, he could truly glimpse events in the Eastern Domain’s Ba Gong, like a dream.

He also wondered if Elder Qiao had been possessed and awakened a system, tempted to use his newly comprehended "spatial regression" to teleport there and check.

"Maybe I don’t need to?"

Xu Xiaoshou suddenly thought of something and glanced at the dean.

Sure enough, the latter was also gazing toward the Ba Gong, as if sensing something.

Noticing Xu Xiaoshou’s gaze, Ye Xiaotian turned his head, his eyes widening: "You sensed it too?"

"Mm." Xu Xiaoshou nodded.

Ye Xiaotian, who had just calmed down, flared up again, glaring: "You can see that far already?!"

"Mm." Xu Xiaoshou nodded again.

You really deserve to die… Ye Xiaotian gritted his teeth, itching to slap him, but realized Xu Xiaoshou wasn’t important right now, so he transmitted:

"I’ll go check it out and be back soon. Watch yourself."

"Also, you can fool others with that Mimic achieving Space Ao Yi story, and I’ve played along, but that one probably won’t believe it." Ye Xiaotian gestured toward the Sheng Mountain direction.

Without waiting for Xu Xiaoshou’s response, he left a Semi-Sage intent clone in place to pretend, while his true body flashed to the Ba Gong.

Still pretending… Xu Xiaoshou chuckled inwardly. With spatial sensing activated, he could see an extra figure of Ye Xiaotian in the Ba Gong, though it was blurry compared to his passive skill "sensing."

He sighed again.

Space Ao Yi—I really mastered it?

Coming back to his senses, recalling the insights from forcing the Ao Yi earlier, Xu Xiaoshou felt infinitely insignificant, while the world as a carrier of rules and life was infinitely vast.

At the "80" node, Xu Xiaoshou felt he was almost assimilating with space and heaven and earth.

Moreover, with both major Ao Yi at "80" progress, he distinctly felt a "rift."

Was the Dao in life, or in space?

Was he life, or was he space?

The more he knew, the smaller he felt.

These two different understandings and insights of the world and the Great Dao subtly intersected and even clashed occasionally, nearly causing a "daze" or "loss" in him.

Xu Xiaoshou was frightened and pulled back, deciding that for these unknown matters, he could gather Water Ghost, his father, Ye Xiaotian, Si Ren, Mister Ba Zun Ran, and other Ao Yi Spirit Refiners or ancient sword cultivators to discuss later.

Oh, and pull in Elemental Divine Envoy Zhong Yuanzi—that guy was a true "research scholar."

It was too profound!

Relying on one person to study it might lead to actual Qi deviation.

But right now…

Compared to Elder Qiao’s sanctification, how could he delay for outside battle matters?

He sharply withdrew his mind from those insights pointing to the Dao’s origin, and Xu Xiaoshou felt he had returned to his "human" self.

What was the point of assimilating with the Dao?

The mortal world was what brought joy!

"Xu Xiaoshou…"

After chopping the Dao, the first to approach wasn’t his own people, but the excited Zhong Yuanzi.

He grabbed Xu Xiaoshou’s hand, staring at his feet, stammering: "The diagram, that Great Dao diagram, I know… no, I don’t quite understand… I feel…"

Xu Xiaoshou gripped the explosive-haired hand in return, seriously saying: "Zhong Lao, I know you like me a lot, but we’re on opposite sides right now. If you get too close, Dao Xuanji will cut off your arm."

This statement snapped everyone back to reality!

Right, they’d been so absorbed in watching Xu Xiaoshou’s breakthrough that they forgot—the main focus was still the battle between the Sacred Slaves and Sheng Shen Hall, which wasn’t over!

Zhong Yuanzi wanted to say more.

Xu Xiaoshou shook his head slightly and released his hand. "If you have questions, ask at the Heaven’s First Floor later."

He subtly moved his fingertip.

The heavens were undisturbed, the Dao laws calm.

Yet space enveloped them, projecting a momentary illusion of Zhong Yuanzi and Xu Xiaoshou in place, freezing time, while Xu Xiaoshou pulled Zhong Yuanzi into a simple, isolated spatial world that no one could sense.

He really did it…

Realizing he could casually create a sub-dimensional space, Xu Xiaoshou was shocked by the power of Space Ao Yi.

But he knew time was pressing and quickly stuffed the item in his hand into Zhong Yuanzi’s palm.

"This is…"

The spatial projection, spatial envelope, and sub-dimensional space vanished.

No one at the scene sensed anything unusual, except for ancient sword cultivators proficient in Illusion Sword Techniques and who had practiced spatial leaps, who felt a slight spatial fluctuation.

But even they couldn’t tell what had happened.

An outright dirty deal!

Seeing everyone’s reactions, Xu Xiaoshou got excited.

He could now strip naked in front of the world and… cough, what kind of thought was that? His second true body was indeed vile!

Zhong Yuanzi looked slightly dazed, lowering his head as he returned to Fang Wenxin’s side, his eyes full of complexity.

"What’s wrong?" Fang Wenxin frowned.

"Nothing…"

"Don’t get too close to him—he’s with the Sacred Slaves!"

"I know…"

Zhong Yuanzi knew everything, of course, but compared to his pursuit of the Dao, how did positions weigh?

He clenched his fist, gently rubbing his palm.

As an Elemental Divine Envoy with space and blood attributes, Zhong Yuanzi could clearly sense that a small sub-dimensional space had been opened in the blood particles deep in his palm’s veins.

No one noticed it.

Not even a Semi-Sage would know.

But inside that space was a jade talisman from Xu Xiaoshou, said to lead to some "Apricot Realm."

Zhong Yuanzi subtly glanced at Gui Zhe Sheng Mountain.

If Dao Qiong Cang were still around, he wouldn’t hesitate at all—just team up to capture Xu Xiaoshou and drag him up the sacred mountain first.

What Heaven’s First Floor?

Sheng Shen Hall was a great place; they could research here, and Dao Qiong Cang would handle the outside mess.

Now, though, Zhong Yuanzi was torn:

"Apricot Realm…"

"Should I go take a look?"