Chapter 1586: Life-size Doll as Easy to Use as an Arm, Even the Skillful Fear Unconventional Tactics

What a terrifying face!

In the Shen Zhi Yiji, after the soul-reading interface popped up with Dao Qiong Cang's image, Xu Xiaoshou's first instinct wasn't to find a close button marked with an "x," but to shut down the entire soul-reading interface.

"Absurd!"

"Tai Zai Ci's soul, the past of Shi Jin Zhi Kui, the truth behind Bei Huai and the Gui Shou secrets—all blocked by a Dao Qiong Cang?"

"Could it be..."

Could it be that the world itself is a massive Dao Qiong Cang trap, and even Bei Huai had unknowingly fallen into it—outer north, inner dao?

"Startled, passive value, 1."

He kept reminding himself that he was no longer the version of himself from Qing Yuan, and the Shen Zhi Yiji wasn't a place where Dao Qiong Cang could come and go as he pleased.

On the contrary, he could use this face, this cross-world stare, to lure him into the game.

Both Lao Ba and Lao Dao were wary of the strangeness of the Shen Zhi Yiji...

If he dared to come, Xu Xiaoshou dared to lose, and then let the flashy Lao Dao lead the Moon Fox to face the Di Ying Sheng Zhu and the potentially unstable Zhan Shen Guan inheritance, thereby unlocking the Shen Zhi Yiji...

With that thought, Xu Xiaoshou barely steadied his turbulent emotions, though he still felt a bit embarrassed.

How embarrassing!

Scared by a face!

Xu Xiaoshou, you're such a disgrace!

He quickly vented his shame and anger on the barefoot, white-haired, flashy Lao Dao in front of him:

"Do you have a problem? Why are you everywhere?"

Once he calmed down, his thoughts expanded.

Xu Xiaoshou suddenly remembered that nowadays, Dao Qiong Cang was no longer affiliated with the Sheng Shen Hall and, like himself, was a wanted fugitive.

In the eyes of the Five Great Sheng Di World Families, this guy was even more like a ticking time bomb than Ba Zun An, lurking and ready to explode at any moment.

The enemy of my enemy could be a friend, even if just for a short-term alliance.

Flashy Lao Dao was formidable as an opponent, but if he could become his subordinate... oh, no, his teammate, heh heh.

Tremble, Sheng Shen Hall!

Quake, Cang Sheng Emperor!

With Ba Zun An in my left hand and Dao Qiong Cang in my right, what can you use to fight me? Your iron will?

Even with those thoughts, Xu Xiaoshou kept a safe distance from this nauseating guy and stayed alert for any sneaky "handshake" symbols popping up.

Silence.

Prolonged silence.

This Dao Qiong Cang, who had suddenly appeared, just turned and stared with a smile.

If you looked closely, you could see his temples pulsing slightly, and his jaw nodding ever so slightly, with tiny, slow movements.

—So lifelike!

From his gaze, Xu Xiaoshou detected a profound depth, an aura of authority that commanded without anger, and...

Creepy!

"Really disgusting, that face."

But it no longer frightened Xu Xiaoshou.

Having mastered the essence of life, he observed and realized that this figure lacked any vital signs.

In fact, anything pulled from soul reading truly lacked vital signs.

But if it were a face-to-face encounter...

Like the half-saint Zang Ren he had read remotely before.

The other side could infuse this empty shell with a half-saint's will, making it vivid, tangible, almost human, and capable of certain actions!

The current Dao Qiong Cang looked vivid, even eerily realistic, but it was still fake.

It might fool others.

After the initial scare, Xu Xiaoshou figured out that Dao Qiong Cang had sensed someone reading him but didn't dare enter the Shen Zhi Yiji to confront it!

"Tsk, tsk, tsk..."

Now, Xu Xiaoshou's expression turned quite interesting.

As he circled this hollow Dao Qiong Cang and made a few sucking sounds, he noticed that its gaze could still lock onto him.

If he went left, its head turned left; if right, it tilted right.

"Impressive, Lao Dao."

"But what's the point of jumping out like this without saying a word? Trying to stop me from seeing Tai Zai Ci's memories?"

Xu Xiaoshou thought it over, then gritted his teeth and severed a strand of his will, shaping it into a hand. He thrust a finger straight at Dao Qiong Cang's head.

"You dead flashy thing, watch me poke your head today!"

Suddenly, Dao Qiong Cang reached out and grabbed Xu Xiaoshou's hand.

In front of Shi Jin Zhi Kui, Shui Gui, Sang Lao, and the others were still on guard nearby.

Out of nowhere, Xu Xiaoshou's human form, in the midst of soul searching, exploded into a raging giant.

Then, in an instant, the raging giant evolved into an ultimate giant.

"Explosion stance!"

"Divine agility moment!"

"Immovable Ming Wang!"

"Chi Realm force field!"

"Roar—"

He activated every skill, as if he'd spotted the Di Ying Sheng Zhu descending again or the Zhan Shen Guan crawling out in a twisted, shadowy manner.

Finally, with a dragon's roar, everyone watched as the ultimate giant transformed into a crimson-golden, serpentine dragon...

But in the blink of an eye, the dragon vanished.

Along with it, all memories related to Xu Xiaoshou were erased from everyone's minds!

"Hmm?"

Shui Gui hesitated.

Before he could speak, Xu Xiaoshou returned, landing right where he had been.

The memories flooded back, making everything that had just happened seem like an illusion from a second world—Xu Xiaoshou hadn't moved at all; he was as steady as a mountain.

"Something's off."

But Sang Lao sharply noticed that Xu Xiaoshou was different.

He was drenched in sweat, wiping his forehead, with his clothes stuck to his arms—sweat everywhere!

Soul searching, this exhausting?

It looked like even battling Shi Jin Zhi Kui hadn't worn him out this much. Had Xu Xiaoshou uncovered something terrifying?

"What's wrong?" Sang Lao asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No big issue." Xu Xiaoshou chuckled and gave everyone a "relax, I've got it under control" look.

Shui Gui was about to step forward with a bag full of half-saint essences, but Sang Lao stopped him with a glance.

Xu Xiaoshou sat cross-legged on the spot and began searching his own consciousness for any "handshake" symbols, checking from body, spirit, and will.

There were none.

Good...

Like hell it is!

Last time with Zang Ren, he had searched thoroughly and found nothing, even chopping off his hand.

In the end, Dao Qiong Cang still possessed him!

Now...

"It's different."

Xu Xiaoshou ordered himself to calm down. "This time, it's very different..."

First, he had prepared fully, severing his spirit before touching it.

When Dao Qiong Cang grabbed that strand of will, he abandoned it ruthlessly, just like discarding his second true body multiple times.

Second, Dao Qiong Cang only reached out to grasp the severed hand of will and didn't extend further.

It was just a normal act of stopping an offense, presented in the form of a "handshake," which was a bit creepy.

Finally, "grab first then sever" versus "sever first then grab"—these were completely different sequences.

"The stupid mistake Zang Ren made, I won't repeat."

"I'm just scaring myself. Not finding the Great God Descent Technique mark doesn't mean it's hidden; it's because..."

Xu Xiaoshou straightened up and smirked coldly, "It doesn't exist at all!"

Confidence, come back!

Sang Shui Cen Bai and the others watched Xu Xiaoshou sitting there, his expressions shifting wildly, finally settling into a sickly cold laugh. They exchanged puzzled glances.

"Just a typical episode." Sang Lao commented.

"Really nothing wrong?" Shui Gui asked, still uneasy, as Xu Xiaoshou opened his eyes.

"Of course."

Xu Xiaoshou couldn't possibly tell these guys he'd seen flashy Lao Dao and been scared by that soulless consciousness. He waved it off casually:

"Just hit a little snag."

"But no problem, I can read the soul again."

Without another word, Xu Xiaoshou turned back to Shi Jin Zhi Kui's eyes and performed soul reading once more.

The barefoot, white-robed figure appeared again.

After about three breaths, he turned once more, his lips slowly curving into a smile.

That profound gaze...

The enduring silence...

"You son of a—!"

Xu Xiaoshou stomped in frustration.

How embarrassing, but at least no one saw his earlier panic...

But what the hell?

It was just an empty shell—why did it react suddenly?

Baffled, Xu Xiaoshou stroked his chin and paced around, observing this creepy thing. He thought for a moment, then severed another strand of will, shaping it into a large hand again.

"Get lost!"

He swung a massive slap.

Just as it was about to hit Dao Qiong Cang, his hand moved again, grabbing Xu Xiaoshou's will hand with a smack.

"Sever!"

This time, Xu Xiaoshou shattered all connections to the will hand but didn't exit the soul reading.

He clearly saw what happened next...

Dao Qiong Cang crushed the will hand, then slowly lowered his arm, shaking his head as he said gently:

"I can't let you, my ass!"

"Move aside, I'm not here for you. I'm giving you face—I'll count to three. Three!"

Xu Xiaoshou shouted angrily.

Dao Qiong Cang's jaw twitched slightly, still smiling as he stared at the raging fool, offering no response.

And then he froze again...

"And your look, your expression—it's just begging for a beating!"

Unable to hold back, Xu Xiaoshou severed another strand of will, shaped it into a hand, and in a feint, diverted it toward Dao Qiong Cang's crotch for a ruthless grab.

Sleeve-free egg-grab hand!

"Smack!"

Dao Qiong Cang clamped his knees together and quickly grabbed the will hand that Xu Xiaoshou had promptly abandoned, crushing it before returning to his smiling demeanor:

"Fine, fine, fine..."

Xu Xiaoshou was so amused he started circling this thing.

Dao Qiong Cang's gaze followed, his head twisting behind and then forward, repeating the cycle, turning over 720 degrees while his body stayed perfectly still.

"Disgusting thing, scram!"

Xu Xiaoshou launched a surprise attack, summoning nine large hands to assault Dao Qiong Cang from all sides.

Smack, smack, smack, smack, smack...

Dao Qiong Cang's shoulders, chest, and ribs sprouted hands to catch and crush each one, then he shook his head calmly with a smile:

"Holy shit!"

Xu Xiaoshou jumped in shock. This Dao Qiong Cang...

Previously, on Void Island, he had fought Dao Qiong Cang, and the guy had impressive physical prowess—Xu Xiaoshou had guessed his body was modified into a Tianji puppet.

But that was just a guess.

He had never seen flashy Lao Dao sprout so many arms at once, though this was just a non-autonomous ideological form. Still, Dao Qiong Cang...

Seemed to have revealed something!

"This is a golden opportunity!"

A wildly imaginative idea bubbled up in his mind, and Xu Xiaoshou's eyes lit up:

"In the Shen Zhi Yiji, flashy Lao Dao doesn't want to come in at all."

"But his consciousness form is set up to be highly responsive, reacting to specific situations?"

"Yes, this consciousness was meant to carry his will as a barrier against intruders peeking into Shi Jin Zhi Kui's secrets."

"To deal with someone who could take down even Tai Zai Ci, this consciousness must be pre-loaded with abilities beyond a half-saint..."

Xu Xiaoshou's eyes grew brighter.

Because Dao Qiong Cang should have come directly—to either trap him or blast him away from Shi Jin Zhi Kui's memories.

But now, he hadn't!

The irony was unfolding!

The carrier he left behind, holding all his secrets, was quietly waiting to be explored...

Though only through passive triggers.

"Does that matter?"

Xu Xiaoshou was thrilled, realizing he was facing not fear, but a life-sized, power-matched doll of Dao Qiong Cang.

No matter how well the secrets were hidden, testing it enough times would reveal something.

"Hey there?"

With his mindset shifted, Xu Xiaoshou turned playful, approaching Dao Qiong Cang while waving.

Dao Qiong Cang leaned back slightly, still smiling silently, though his eyes seemed to flicker with disdain.

He retreated!

Xu Xiaoshou saw it clearly.

This life-sized doll had some of Dao Qiong Cang's personality—it disliked being approached like this?

"Can I kiss you?"

Xu Xiaoshou leaned in closer, even puckering his lips.

Dao Qiong Cang reached out, as if to crush Xu Xiaoshou's face, but his mouth remained smiling as he said:

"Not possible, oh!"

Xu Xiaoshou dodged and summoned a hundred will hands, lunging forward to rip Dao Qiong Cang's clothes:

"Can I see your body? Wahaha!"

Smack, smack, smack, smack, smack...

Dao Qiong Cang transformed into a tentacle monster, surging with an equal number of arms to crush Xu Xiaoshou's will hands one by one:

"Not possible, so what!"

After these tests, Xu Xiaoshou could see that every time Dao Qiong Cang resisted, Tianji technique power surged from him.

Analyzing it from a textile mastery perspective, each movement of this consciousness involved the operation of an intricate Tianji spirit array within.

"You asked for it!"

Xu Xiaoshou grinned fiercely, summoning another hand to grab at Dao Qiong Cang's crotch while using his consciousness as a needle to thread toward the Tianji patterns on his chest.

Sure enough, more Tianji patterns lit up on Dao Qiong Cang.

As soon as he crushed Xu Xiaoshou's will hand, a textile thread pierced into the main array of the Tianji pattern on his chest.

What a beautifully embroidered Tianji life consciousness diagram—it was now marred by a thread that ruined all its aesthetics. This was utter destruction of art!

Dao Qiong Cang smiled and began to speak:

"Not possible..."

But before that nauseating "oh" could escape,

Xu Xiaoshou yanked the textile thread hard, and Dao Qiong Cang's face twitched. His body jerked unnaturally:

"Not possible-e-e-e-e-e..."

"Wahaha!"

Xu Xiaoshou threw his head back in laughter. It worked.

"Not possible-e-e-e-e-e..."

"Don't say 'oh'"

"Not possible-e-e-e-e-e..."

"Hahaha, flashy Lao Dao, your time has come!"

"Not possible-e-e-e oh"

Suddenly, that faulty thread was eliminated by the self-repair of Dao Qiong Cang's internal Tianji patterns.

It even had self-repair?

Xu Xiaoshou was surprised but not discouraged. He had grasped the way—er, method—to break Dao Qiong Cang.

The time it took for that long string of "not possible-e-e-e" during repairs left huge room for maneuvering!

He repeated the trick.

Crotch grab, hand strike, thread weave...

Dao Qiong Cang glitched again: "Not possible-e-e-e-e..."

"Tell me, who am I?"

"Not possible-e-e-e..."

Broke that fast?

No, this consciousness was placed in Tai Zai Ci and probably didn't recognize me back then?

Xu Xiaoshou changed his appearance, transforming into Ba Zun An:

"Call out my name, and I'll spare you."

Dao Qiong Cang: "Not possible-e-e-e Ba Zun An-e-e-e oh"

"Hahahaha!"

Sang Shui Cen Bai watched as Xu Xiaoshou suddenly woke up again, laughing skyward, and fell into deep thought once more.

"Has he always been like this?" Bai Zhuo shot a glance, clearly having successfully infiltrated the Sheng Nu Ren's secret system.

"Occasionally..." Cen Qiaofu smirked, clueless.

"But how many times now?" Bai Zhuo hesitated.

Cen Qiaofu tried to spill more secrets, but Sang Lao silenced him with a look.

"What's up with you now?" Sang Lao asked directly.

"Nothing, I just thought of something fun." Xu Xiaoshou was buzzing with excitement, saying no more. He pulled out the Mimic, transforming into Dao Qiong Cang.

"This..." Bai Zhuo's face showed massive shock.

This Dao Qiong Cang didn't look like a disguise at all—from inside to out, from aura to abilities, even micro-expressions and breathing...

It was identical to the real Dao Qiong Cang in his memories!

"Does it look like me?"

Xu Xiaoshou spun around.

"What exactly are you planning?" Sang Lao frowned deeply.

"Heh heh..." Xu Xiaoshou narrowed his eyes, putting on a mysterious air, "Tianji secrets can't be revealed."

Soul reading!

When they met again, Xu Xiaoshou, now in the form of Dao Qiong Cang, hadn't even started when he saw surprise on the other Dao Qiong Cang's face.

"The original?"

So you can speak besides when stimulated, and you know other words?

But after that, Dao Qiong Cang reverted to his smiling, profoundly annoying demeanor.

"You're not creeping me out anymore!"

Xu Xiaoshou was even more convinced that this life-sized doll had high access to unlock Dao Qiong Cang's abilities and plenty of manipulability.

He set aside the matters of Kui and Bei Huai for now, utterly curious about the Ten Zun Seat Dao Qiong Cang.

"Not possible-e-e-e..."

After another crotch grab and thread weave, breaking Dao Qiong Cang again, Xu Xiaoshou tossed out his most intriguing question:

"This hall is a bit tired and has temporarily forgotten the Tianji Thirty-Six Styles. Avatar, tell me, what is the essence of the Great God Descent Technique?"