Chapter 1534: Building a Hut and Picking Chrysanthemums Leisurely Breaks Through Troubles; Mountains and Waters Turn to Emptiness in the Dao's Escape

Utilizing Mei Ziyu's Tian Jie in perfect harmony with Jian Dao, employing Qing Jian Shu's Fei Yun Ping for defense, and thereby constructing a bridge that connects illusions and the nine.

Then, sealing it with the Second World, outputting through Gui Yi Ji Jian, advancing to attack or retreating to defend.

Is Gu Lao's sword integrating three Second Realms, along with Mei Ziyu's Tian Jie, truly elevating him to an inhuman level?

Feng Zhongzui seemed to vaguely grasp it, and only after receiving affirmation from Si Ren xiansheng did his voice rise with full excitement:

"That's exactly right!"

"First, there was the Zhong Gu Ba Men Jian, compatible with all major First Realms. Now, there's the Gui Yi Ji Jian, unifying the three realms."

"How can such a sword be broken? Can he really crack it?"

The spectators from Wu Yu were still mocking "Fei Yun, Fei Yun" and sneering "ridiculous, ridiculous"...

Gu Yu's talent was indeed quite laughable.

But laughable or not, when the light of that triple profound array diagram flashed, everyone fell silent.

Who needs talent?

Raw power can slap them in the face!

And once Feng Zhongzui's commentary confirmed everyone's suspicions, not just the onlookers, but even the ancient sword cultivators nearby had faces turning gravely serious.

"Three realms combined, no less..."

Liu Fu Yu stared unblinkingly at that sword.

An old sword master is truly an old sword master—her earlier intuition was spot on; Gu Yu had achieved what she could not.

Individually manifesting a Second Realm of any sword, most ancient sword cultivators present could manage.

Even following one with another Second Realm, a few could pull off—after all, it's just mastering two Second Realms!

But to display three major realms simultaneously during Tian Jie, blending them seamlessly without imbalance or backlash...

Even Xu Xiaoshou, with all those profound array diagrams on him, couldn't light up three at once; he had to activate them one by one.

This was something only a veteran ancient sword cultivator could accomplish, requiring immense insight and deduction of ancient sword techniques—truly the accumulation of time.

Liu Fu Yu glanced involuntarily at Mei Si Zi beside her, unsure if even he could do it, since he seemed specialized only in Xin Jian Shu.

So, could his student, Xu Xiaoshou, break this sword?

"Xi xi li li..."

The Tian Jie of Mei Ziyu brought corrosive rains infused with the power of time's decay, each drop piercing the body with bone-deep pain, leaving one riddled with wounds.

But that was for ordinary people.

Relying on his full array of passive skills for recovery, Xu Xiaoshou could withstand Mei Ziyu's Tian Jie, ignoring the damage entirely.

Yes, the Tian Jie of an Er Pin Ling Jian held no threat to him.

Yet, the might created by linking it to the fusion of those three Second Realms was terrifying!

Amid the surrounding landscape scenes, when the nine towering illusory giant swords suddenly unified in midair, forming a Gui Yi Ji Jian visible only by its blade...

Even Xu Xiaoshou felt his heartbeat skip a beat.

"Under influence, passive value +1."

"Under intimidation, passive value +1."

"Under oppression, passive value +1."

"Under attack, passive value +1."

The information panel lit up frantically; the sword hadn't even fallen, but its exposed sword light felt like it could sever one's head, causing unbearable pain.

"This is Jiu Jian Shu..."

He vaguely recalled Si Ren xiansheng saying that Jiu Jian Shu had two major schools: one for sword arrays, the other for stacking damage.

The power of the sword array needed no explanation.

As for damage stacking, the concept of infinite progression had already provided the answer.

Gui Yi Ji Jian took it further, fusing all possible additional damage into the most ultimate and streamlined single strike.

Just one sword!

Victory or defeat in this single blow!

In pure attack power, Gui Yi Ji Jian was the pinnacle among the nine sword techniques.

And now...

Faced with this sword unifying three realms, Xu Xiaoshou had little time to think of a counter; the Gui Yi Ji Jian from the horizon was already slashing down mercilessly.

"Boom!"

The void twisted.

As the sword began to descend, Xu Xiaoshou felt blood already seeping from his forehead; the information panel jumped wildly:

"Under attack, passive value +1."

"Under attack, passive value +1."

And this was just from the distant impact!

"Absolutely cannot clash head-on!"

Xu Xiaoshou reached that conclusion instantly, but he quickly dismissed any thoughts of fleeing or dodging.

Because Gui Yi Ji Jian, combined with Gu Yu's simultaneous Fei Yun Ping and Second World, had sealed off all his escape routes!

"Then let's fight!"

Xu Xiaoshou stood firm, tilting Zang Ku upward in his hand and lifting his chin.

"Wan."

Just one word.

The Jian Dao profound array diagram under his feet spun out.

"Chi chi chi..."

The thousands of falling Mei Ziyu rains froze in midair, then burst into sharp, piercing silver sword thoughts.

In the blink of an eye, the entire world was filled with dense sword thoughts!

"Wan Jian Shu?"

Feng Zhongzui cried out in shock, "Is Xiaoshou planning to counter Gui Yi Ji Jian with Wan Jian Shu?"

"But what on earth is with these sword thoughts?!" He clutched his head in disbelief.

Such an enormous number of sword thoughts...

And using the principles of Guan Jian Shu, turning all things into swords on the spot to form them...

In just this move alone, Xiaoshou had evolved far beyond his previous self!

But looking at that profound array diagram, if he were using Wan Jian Shu to respond, its Second Realm shouldn't be deployed like this!

"As everyone knows, the Second Realm of Wan Jian Shu, Da Hong Shen Zhi Nu, either requires the sword intent of thousands of spirit swords as aid, or as a fallback, uses Void Condensation Sword Technique to form them, supplemented by the most extreme bloody killing intent... Ah! What am I seeing?!"

Feng Zhongzui hadn't finished speaking when he slapped his own face with the transmission mirror, staring incredulously at the battlefield.

He saw those thousands of silver sword thoughts condensing in the void, and as Xiaoshou sheathed Zang Ku to his chest...

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..."

The silver thoughts surged like a flood from all directions, flowing into Xiaoshou's sleeves and robes.

Then...

"Shua! Shua!"

Behind the small black figure, two massive, dazzling silver wings swept out.

In an instant, they cleared away the Mei Ziyu rains for miles around, shielding their master beneath them!

"Da Hong Shen..."

"No! Da Yin Shen Zhi Nu?"

Feng Zhongzui gaped in astonishment, "Has Xiaoshou modified the Second Realm of Wan Jian Shu?!"

Everyone in the battle was stunned, especially Feng Ting Chen.

As the master of Wan Jian Shu, Feng Ting Chen hadn't even processed this silver version of Da Hong Shen Zhi Nu when he heard his family's junior exclaiming in excitement:

"Xiaoshou has abandoned sword intent, replacing it with higher-damage sword thoughts!"

"He's also abandoned killing intent, using... this... could it be the oppressive divine thought he just comprehended?"

"It resembles that, and some of it is... yes, I also cultivate Wan Jian Shu—this is his growable 'Shi'!"

Feng Zhongzui was like someone beholding the most indescribable wonder, gesturing wildly in excitement:

"Substitute thoughts for intent, substitute 'Shi' for killing!"

"This Da Yin Shen Zhi Nu is probably stronger than the usual Da Hong Shen Zhi Nu by more than three times... Ouch!"

He got another smack on the back of his head and turned back indignantly, "Old family head, did I say something wrong?"

The transmission mirror shifted.

Feng Ting Chen's face was completely dark, struggling to compose himself as he said:

"I'm saying, don't shake the screen—everyone's watching."

The Wu Yu spectators cursed and craned their necks, but the screen shook again, turning back to the battlefield.

As Gui Yi Ji Jian slashed down, the silver wings hundreds of zhang wide behind Xiaoshou suddenly flung upward.

In that instant, the wings formed of thousands of sword thoughts rippled, unleashing what seemed like tens of thousands of brilliant silver sword thought lights slashing upward—it was spectacular.

The spectators before the transmission mirror could no longer hold back, standing in awe.

What is Wan Jian Shu?

This is Wan Jian Shu!

Bei Bei had demonstrated Wan Jian Shu before.

But her version only used momentum suppression and was overshadowed by Di Jian Tian Jie's final fury—nothing compared to the explosive power of Xiaoshou's Da Yin Shen Zhi Nu, which made blood boil.

Yet, even this river of sword thoughts under the wings couldn't fully block the sky-dominating extreme sword.

Compared to the massive Gui Yi Ji Jian, visible only by its blade with the rest hidden, Xiaoshou with his hundreds-of-zhang silver wings still looked as insignificant as an ant.

"Boom rumble..."

The river crashed against Gui Yi Ji Jian, causing the landscape scroll confining the battlefield to tremble slightly, as if even the Dao principles were disrupted.

Xu Xiaoshou instantly felt a sense of powerlessness.

Truly, it couldn't be shaken at all!

Without a moment's delay, he gripped Zang Ku, flipped his body, and his two wings transformed almost into dual swords, chopping and slashing.

"Boom boom boom boom boom..."

The endless river of sword thoughts finally slowed Gui Yi Ji Jian's descent a bit.

But in the next instant, after a flash before everyone's eyes, the wings behind Xiaoshou vanished!

"What happened?"

Feng Zhongzui's excitement halted, bewildered. "How did Da Yin Shen Zhi Nu disappear... Hmm? Second World?!"

He had a realization, exclaiming in shock: "It must be Second World or Fei Yun Ping—definitely one of them activating!"

And indeed, in this multiple-choice scenario, the sharp-witted Feng Zhongzui guessed right.

When Xu Xiaoshou realized he was trapped in the landscape scroll's Second World, every attack he launched had a faint trace of power diverted, turning into Fei Yun.

The flow of Fei Yun was invisible to others, but with his 80 Jian Dao disks, Xu Xiaoshou could sense it all converging into Gui Yi Ji Jian!

"So, that's why the sword is falling so slowly, similar to Di Jian Tian Jie's final fury—it's building up?"

"And it's stealing my power?"

Realizing this, Xu Xiaoshou was furious, about to summon Da Yin Shen Zhi Nu again to counter, when his thoughts suddenly paused.

No, something was overlooked...

Of course, the time power of Second World itself!

His Da Yin Shen Zhi Nu hadn't vanished due to power theft; it was reversed by Second World to its pre-strike state.

Glancing back at the surrounding landscape...

Xu Xiaoshou was astonished to discover how deliberately false, clumsy, and eternally unchanging this scenery was!

Thus, in this Second World, which everyone knew was an illusion, people didn't take it seriously.

But his own state had been regressed from one moment to the previous one, and in this environment, without Jian Dao disk's aid, Xu Xiaoshou might not have noticed the blurred time Dao principles at play.

It was forcing his state to rewind!

"What a Gui Yi Ji Jian of three realms unified..."

"Fei Yun Ping locks me down and steals my power; Second World weakens the opponent and steals power before that; when I'm out of options, the fully charged Gui Yi Ji Jian strikes!"

"In this way, even if a Sheng Di came, they'd be dragged down and exhausted, likely ending up severely wounded!"

Gu Yu's scheme was probably the quickest to see through among the spectators, in the blink of an eye.

But Xu Xiaoshou had seen through it the moment the Dao laws disrupted!

"Can't delay."

"If I drag on, even with full endurance, I won't be depleted—his Gui Yi Ji Jian has infinite progression attributes and can grow endlessly!"

"Once it exceeds Sheng Di level attacks, I'd only have the option of forcing out Ultimate Giant to withstand it."

With that thought, Xu Xiaoshou simply didn't summon Da Yin Shen Zhi Nu; instead, he stepped back to overview the entire battlefield:

So what if it's three swords unified?

As long as I bring down Tai Shang Bai Ri, everything—Fei Yun Ping, Second World, Gui Yi Ji Jian—will be cast aside!

"Wu."

He sheathed Zang Ku.

The Jian Dao disk under his feet spun.

Outside the battlefield, Liu Fu Yu instantly sensed the rules changing to something familiar.

"Wu Jian Shu, Tian Qi Zhi?"

Feng Zhongzui was on the verge of frenzy, his face flushed red as he shouted hoarsely: "Sure enough, Xiaoshou just glanced at Liu Fu Yu and copied her sword!"

Liu Fu Yu could see it, Feng Zhongzui could see it—how could Gu Yu not see Xu Xiaoshou's intent?

If Tian Qi Zhi was as powerful as Si Ren's Ban Ruo Wu, it could forcibly discard all the various manifestations of Gu Yu's elevated Second Realms.

Could Xu Xiaoshou do it?

Gu Yu wanted to say no, but he felt it might be yes.

But that wasn't the point; the point was, he didn't want to gamble on it at all!

As Xu Xiaoshou's profound array diagram spun under his feet, the landscape of Second World shook again...

The power of Wu Jian Shu emerged, only to be sent back!

"Time reversal!"

"Gu Lao is pushing harder; he doesn't want Xiaoshou to strike at all!"

The first time it happened, it was understandable, but if Feng Zhongzui couldn't comment on the second, how could he have secured this renowned position in the fiercely competitive Feng family city?

But as before...

If even Feng Zhongzui could notice, would the brilliant Xiaoshou lack the awareness to predict Gu Yu's instinctive counter to his Tian Qi Zhi?

And if he could predict it, would he lack a countermeasure to that countermeasure?

"Gu Lao, you're getting old..."

The battle awareness trained by that showy old Daoist to always hide an extra hand made Xu Xiaoshou not panic but rejoice after the time reversal.

In a split second, he threw Zang Ku into the air; under the boost of the 80 Jian Dao disks, he performed a Space-Time Leap—not traversing space, but time!

In the transmission mirror, the crowd seemed to see an illusory river of time coiling behind Xiaoshou as Zang Ku carried him back to the moment when Gu Yu's three realms unified and Gui Yi Ji Jian first slashed down.

"How is that possible..."

Feng Zhongzui was speechless in shock.

Though he cultivated Huan Jian Shu, which included time and space paths, it was only supplementary—Huan Jian Shu primarily focused on "illusion."

To achieve a sword that leaps through time meant his comprehension of the time path rivaled that of a refiner with time attributes!

Cultivating a time attribute from nothing...

This wasn't just an exaggeration—it was utterly absurd!

Looking around at the ancient sword cultivators, probably none in Huan Jian Shu had reached this level; you'd have to go to the five domains of the continent.

"Yun Tu laoyezi, the Eighth Jian Xian, and maybe one more senior brother..." Feng Zhongzui could count them on his fingers, as they were all from the same lineage.

Now, add one more—Xiaoshou, the all-capable Xiaoshou!

A sword of Space-Time Leap could hardly alter the time under Gu Yu's Fei Yun Ping, but altering his own was simple.

Incorporating a First Realm sword into these three Second Realms was something no one expected, completely disrupting Gu Yu's attack rhythm.

Four ounces deflecting a thousand pounds!

Back at the initial slash of Gui Yi Ji Jian, with all the subsequent thoughts and practices, Xu Xiaoshou's first choice was no longer just Da Yin Shen Zhi Nu.

He couldn't retrieve the sword thoughts that belonged to Gui Yi Ji Jian, so he couldn't defy the time paradox and make Da Yin Shen Zhi Nu disappear.

He simply added another sword in that moment.

"Huan Jian Shu, Second World."

Zang Ku lightly slashed, its invisible sword light vanishing into the air.

The Jian Dao disk extended, covering an unknown radius of tens of thousands of li...

Xu Xiaoshou couldn't find Gu Yu, but the range of Mei Ziyu’s Tian Jie was limited, and his endurance was maxed out, so he could expand it further.

Thus, overlaying his Second World over Gu Yu's Fei Yun Ping Second World and Gui Yi Ji Jian was effortless!

The difference was...

Gu Yu's Second World emphasized unchanging space and time reversal, as his mastery of Huan Jian Shu wasn't deep—his main focus was Jiu Jian Shu.

Xu Xiaoshou, however, could make any sword his main one, so his Second World centered on the root of Huan Jian Shu—questioning the heart!

Just as on Gu Yin Cliff, where the eight Zun An could show Xiu Yuan Ke his most desired world; or on Void Island, where Xiao Kong Dong could show Yan Wu Se his most just future.

This sword of his, upon full coverage, questioned Gu Yu's heart amid the three realms' unification and the Gui Yi Jian's strike—a heart turned into a wisp of Fei Yun after Tian Jie.

Could Gu Lao's heart withstand the questioning?

"Buzz!"

The world spun and turned.

In the previous moment, Gu Yu was controlling Tian Jie plus three realms' unification; he was about to take down Xu Xiaoshou.

In the next blink, he saw himself dispelling Fei Yun Ping, dispelling Tian Jie—Second World and Gui Yi Ji Jian hadn't dissipated, but he had manifested his true form and fallen.

A sense of weightlessness...

Still weightlessness...

"Thump!"

Finally, it was like a heavy heartbeat or feet hitting the ground.

Gu Yu landed on the earth, instinctively looking up ahead.

In this landscape, he quickly spotted the thatched hut he had resolutely abandoned upon the new Seven Jian Xian list, choosing to forgo seclusion.

A person emerged from the hut, looking just like him, tilling fields and weeding all day, resting by rolling up his sleeves to read a scroll, shouting at the top of his lungs about "Fei Yun, Fei Yun" and "Liu Guang, Liu Guang"...

Rising with the sun, resting at sunset, living in utter contentment.

Gu Yu's lips curled into a smile; he propped his cheek, sitting on a large stone and watching from afar, full of joy.

Why fight?

The business of fighting and killing had grown tiresome in the first half of his life; he had decided not to emerge from seclusion...

Xu Xiaoshou also smiled.

This old man's heart was too fragile; he sank into it so easily?

But he wasn't here to watch the show; he was here to be the villain, to interrogate Gu Yu's decrepit heart.

As the power of Second World shifted, it turned into Sheng Huan Hall.

The scene blurred suddenly; Gu Yu shuddered, standing trembling in the grand hall...

All conversations, all past events, faded away one by one.

What remained was a radiant, mesmerizing crystal gem—the Ban Sheng Wei Ge!

Xu Xiaoshou understood: interrogating straight to the soul:

"For just this Ban Sheng Wei Ge, you abandoned your past life and walked a path your heart doesn't enjoy—is it worth it?"

Gu Yu's body shook, and he hung his head heavily.

"It's worth it..."

"If it weren't, how could I have made such a choice?"

Xu Xiaoshou disagreed.

If it's worth it, how could you be trapped in my Second World right now?

If it's worth it, and your humanitarian heart is firm, Second World only seeks to question the heart, which you could break in an instant, my Gu Bao... no, Gu Lao!

"How do you know the great Dao lies only in Sheng Huan Hall, only in Ban Sheng Wei Ge, not in the mountains and rivers, not in the world between heaven and earth?" Xu Xiaoshou pressed relentlessly.

Gu Yu lifted a foot, as if to step forward for something, but his face showed hesitation; he retreated, wanting to refuse.

As he opened his mouth, he tried to deceive himself again...

But this was Xu Xiaoshou's Second World!

How could he not see Gu Yu's exposed heart at that moment?

A flash of Elder Qiao's enlightenment scene crossed his mind, and Xu Xiaoshou realized the vast difference in the ideological realms between the Sheng Gong Si Zi and the old stubborn donkey.

He sighed, and the heavens echoed with a faint Dao sound:

"The gifts of heaven and earth can be used by all..."

Boom!

Second World descended with thunder; his state of mind turned into a heavenly disaster, and the world nearly shattered.

Gu Yu sat down hard on the ground, dazed and lost, clearly thunderstruck, murmuring to himself:

"The... the gifts of heaven..."

His whole being seemed to crack, only now realizing he had strayed onto the wrong path and wandered far, making return difficult.

He refused to believe!

He looked ahead!

He refused to believe that the self who seemed to have abandoned the great Dao for seclusion in the fields could comprehend a path to further advancement through daily weeding and farming!

He gazed at the thatched hut, at himself wiping sweat, rolling up sleeves, clutching the scroll and shouting hoarsely:

"Ah, Fei Yun, Fei Yun..."

"Ah, Liu Guang, Liu Guang..."

Shouting for half a day about Fei Yun and half a day about Liu Guang, nothing came of it!

Where in these fields was any true intent of the great Dao!?

Xu Xiaoshou watched, feeling a bit uneasy, but after glancing at the lost Gu Lao, he gritted his teeth and manipulated Second World, adding fuel to the fire.

Gu Yu watched his hut self, clutching the scroll and shouting hoarsely for what seemed like half a century.

Suddenly, as if enlightened!

Radiance emanated from him; he no longer resembled his former self; he laughed heartily, stepping on rainbows and transcending away.

In this turbulent landscape, a clear, refreshing song descended, unclear at first listen, but upon second...

Gu Yu listened in a daze, his eyes gradually emptying.

Finally, with a boom, the world collapsed, plunging into darkness, leaving only the echoes in his mind, repeating over and over:

"Building a hut in the human realm, yet free from the noise of carts and horses."

"Ask how this is possible? A distant heart makes the place remote."

"Gathering chrysanthemums by the eastern fence, leisurely gazing at South Mountain."

"The mountain air grows finer at dusk, as flying birds return together."

"Here lies true intent, which, once discerned, needs no words."

From Tao Yuanming's "Drinking Wine, Verse Five."