Chapter 1623: A Thought Sent Afar to the Void Island, Asking the Eight Venerables About the Return Date

To be honest, Xu Xiaoshou never imagined that Cursed Yin Ranming could quarrel with the Heaven Ancestor Spirit, let alone bicker like children. He was even more surprised that the Heaven Ancestor Spirit could be summoned by him at all.

Back on Void Island, Xu Xiaoshou had spent over a month receiving the Heaven Ancestor's legacy. Essentially, this involved storing most of the original Heaven Ancestor power within the Dragon Pearl. He knew this power could be used when all other options were exhausted, but he had no idea that the Heaven Ancestor's will would emerge when it was utilized. How was this any different from being parasitic to an Ancestor God?

However, upon closely examining his current state, Xu Xiaoshou understood the true nature of the "Heaven Ancestor legacy." "It's not parasitic..." The Heaven Ancestor Spirit was indeed merely a spirit born from Void Island after the Heaven Ancestor's demise, a wisp of the island's essence created to preserve the legacy. This legacy was authentic, unlike Cursed Yin Ranming's intentions of possession, seizing control, and rebirth.

The reason the Heaven Ancestor Spirit had truly been summoned now was that he was not only activating the Heaven Ancestor's power but also the Ancestor God's Destiny! "The power of the Ancestor God's Destiny, awakening the Heaven Ancestor?" Just a moment ago, the Dragon Pearl in Dao Qiongcang's hand had collided with the Ancestor God's Destiny, creating a connection between them. The power contained within the Ancestor God's Destiny stimulated the Heaven Ancestor's legacy power in the Dragon Pearl, subsequently linking to Void Island.

Yes! At this very moment, the suddenly appearing Heaven Ancestor's Eye was not hidden within the deeper layers of the Heaven Ancestor's power in the Dragon Pearl, but rather projected from the distant Void Island! "God's Relic, Void Island, Holy God Continent..." As a master of spatial profoundness, Xu Xiaoshou immediately understood that these three might differ in size and civilization, but purely on a spatial level, they should be parallel, with no distinction of superior or inferior. In the vast and boundless universe, spacetime, or fragmented currents, the Holy God Continent floated as a major plane, while God's Relic and Void Island also drifted in the periphery.

The Cursed Yin Evil God had sealed off all paths from God's Relic to other places, leaving only a one-way passage that allowed those who called "Ranming" to be guided through reincarnation into the relic. Ranming was an Ancestor God, and the Heaven Ancestor was also an Ancestor God. Ranming's power was incomplete, and the Heaven Ancestor's power was also incomplete. These two were evenly matched, essentially on the same level. Unprepared, the Heaven Ancestor could naturally invade God's Relic with ease. In essence, the Heaven Ancestor had unilaterally established a one-way path between Void Island and God's Relic!

"This is something..." "No! This is *too* something!" Realizing this, Xu Xiaoshou felt that Cursed Yin Ranming was no longer completely invincible. At the very least, if the Heaven Ancestor wanted to protect him, by sacrificing something, the Heaven Ancestor could surely safeguard his sole successor, right? With this fallback plan, his heart settled considerably.

While observing the battlefield, Xu Xiaoshou simultaneously diverted his consciousness, immersing himself in the perspective of the Heaven Ancestor's Eye as a "receiver." From this perspective, there was simply too much to see!

First, there was the Eighteenth Heaven. Even as insignificant as an eye mote within the Heaven Ancestor's Eye, Xu Xiaoshou received an amplification. His "perception" expanded to an almost boundless extent, allowing him to easily pierce through the divine court and see: The Star River Divine Court was originally rooted within the plaque of the Temple of Fate, and then further embedded in God's Relic. Only by combining the power of the thirty-six divine punishment pillars within the divine court and the plane power of God's Relic—an internal and external, dual power supply—could Cursed Yin Ranming maintain the Star River Divine Court.

"So that's how it is!" This discovery confirmed that Cursed Yin Ranming was indeed outwardly strong but inwardly weak, just as Dao Qiongcang had said. One only needed to disrupt the power supply from God's Relic to the Temple of Fate's plaque, or destroy the divine punishment pillar array from within. Remove either of these two pillars, and the edifice would surely collapse. Cursed Yin Ranming would absolutely be unable to maintain the high-grade power of the Star River Divine Court for long, and thus would be unable to wield such quality and quantity of God-Slaying power.

Next, through the Heaven Ancestor's Eye's perception, Xu Xiaoshou easily located his objective in the Eighteenth Heaven: outside the Star River Divine Court, within the Temple of Fate. In the vast and dim giant palace, amidst the nauseating sight of countless lives wantonly proliferating, stood a towering silver wall. That wall remained unstained by the mire; the chaotic life principles swirled around it, and all things proliferated as they might, yet it remained aloof. It stood silently within the Temple of Fate, dormant in the darkness, and through a faint wisp of Heaven Ancestor's power, it established a connection with the Heaven Ancestor's Eye that had descended upon God's Relic, seemingly conveying a subtle question: "How are you here?"

Was it an illusion? Xu Xiaoshou might have heard the question, or he might not have, but that didn't stop him from using the Heaven Ancestor's Eye to greet the Shattered Divine Shield in advance: "Hello, my shield." The nine supreme divine artifacts must all possess spirits! Since the Shattered Divine Shield was on good terms with the Heaven Ancestor, and he was the Heaven Ancestor's successor, and now had even summoned the Heaven Ancestor's Eye, there was no reason not to leverage this connection.

However, the towering silver wall, the Shattered Divine Shield, remained unmoved by his words. It stood like an ancient, unchanging boulder, eternally silent and unwavering. "Later, I'll come to marry... *ahem*, take you. Shall we conquer the world together?" "The gods also have their hegemons, and I have my Shattered Divine Shield. Both are peerless armaments. The hegemon is already renowned across the four seas, and you wouldn't want to remain unknown and silent here forever, would you?" "That rascal Cursed Yin Ranming just attacked me with the God-Slaying Axe. It's ridiculous that while my Painted Dragon Halberd strikes like a dragon, I lack a suitable defensive divine artifact, which led to me being cut in half. If you can help me, with halberd and shield combined, it would be like adding wings to a tiger. I'll make sure that God-Slaying Axe and Cursed Yin Ranming never return. What do you think?" "No answer means you're agreeing, right?"

Truly a boring shield... For the first time, Xu Xiaoshou realized that the Hidden Misery Sword Spirit actually had some redeeming qualities. Seeing that communication was fruitless, he could only retract his thoughts and, using the Heaven Ancestor's Eye's enhanced perception, looked towards one last place:

It was a distant, blurred, small island, seemingly beyond reach, as if in a heaven beyond heaven. To connect to it, the signal strength would need to be at least Ancestor God level. Xu Xiaoshou's current "will" was the Transcendent Dao-Transformation Will-Disc. With the Heaven Ancestor Spirit's assistance, if he truly wished to see, he could follow the connection between the Heaven Ancestor's Eye and the blurry island, forcibly traverse the boundless space, and glimpse the island's true appearance.

"Go!" With a single thought, the image entered his eyes. The island was divided into inner and outer sections, like two mirrored surfaces, or circles within circles, effectively two layers of parallel worlds. "So, this is what Void Island looks like from the Heaven Ancestor's perspective?"

The major perilous lands on the outer island where fierce battles had once taken place—Hall of Sins, Forest of Miracles, Absolute Cinder Fire Domain, Fallen Abyss—were all laid bare. Even the empty Shennong Medicine Garden and a Void Servant, who had somehow survived and was staring blankly at a deep pit, could be seen. The inner island, on the other hand, was crudely divided into two large areas, left and right.

On the right, one entity dominated. A winding black dragon was coiled on the endless mountain range, comfortably dozing with half-closed eyes, snot bubbles inflating and deflating. After being spied on, it showed zero sensitivity, merely scratching itself and rolling over to continue sleeping. Beneath the dragon's body, Black-Veined Ghost Beasts seemed to be engaged in a fervent and joyous gladiatorial event. "Dragon Treasure! My Dragon Treasure! *Wuwuwu*, Elder Shou misses you, I really long for those youthful days when we fought side by side!"

On the left, the first thing to catch his eye was a sea of flames, with inverted tree shadows in the void. Between the flames and the shadows lay a fire lotus, and on its platform sat an old man in white prisoner's robes, his hands and feet in shackles, meditating with his eyes closed. "The Ragged Saint! Oh, no, Ancestor Jinzhao? Ancestor, so this is what you really look like? You old scoundrel, back in White Grotto, you used a Fiery Serpent to possess me and manipulate me into the Void Island scheme. Later, the Four Divine Pillars didn't dare possess me. A dignified Saint Emperor, so timid and hesitant! Just watch me stare you down... I'll stare, I'll stare!"

Ancestor Jinzhao was essentially not bad; at least he didn't discard his pawns like trash and offered some protection. It was normal for someone trapped for a long time to want to escape, and Xu Xiaoshou could now choose to be magnanimous and understanding. "Soon, you'll be my pawn. I hope you can also understand my predicament. It's only polite to return the favor."

Shifting his gaze, he saw a human-like elder in a maple robe, with seven trees growing from his back, tinkering with something near spatial fragments in a smoggy red forest. "Emperor Seven Trees! Well, well, well, you contemporary Blood Tree Spirit! Back then... oh, on Void Island, the Blood World Pearl and various Saint Emperor's guidance, most of that trickery was yours, wasn't it? You certainly look shifty-eyed..." "What is he doing?"

The first impression of Emperor Seven Trees was eerie. But the key was that this fellow wasn't idle; he was clearly a troublemaker, concocting some sinister scheme. Xu Xiaoshou investigated carefully. What the hell! Emperor Seven Trees was secretly digging a hidden spatial tunnel on the inner island. It was very fragmented, preventing people from passing through, but it could release a wisp of a Saint Emperor's will, quietly influencing a certain perilous land on the outer island... Was that the Blood World?

Peeking was truly an ultimate experience, especially with this kind of God's-eye view. Xu Xiaoshou felt that Void Island, which he had been involved in but failed to fully comprehend back then, was now completely laid bare, seen through, and understood by him.

"Oh, right, where's the Divine Prison Azure Stone?" This individual came to mind again, rumored to be the most mysterious and eerily powerful among the inner island's Saint Emperors. Xu Xiaoshou searched, and at the top of an azure stone prison where countless ghost beasts, monsters, and souls were confined, he sensed a faint consciousness. "Hmm?" That humanoid consciousness suddenly solidified, looked up at the sky, and emitted a flicker of hesitation. Xu Xiaoshou quickly shifted his gaze. Good heavens, what was the origin of this Divine Prison Azure Stone? From the Heaven Ancestor Spirit's perspective, Ancestor Jinzhao, Emperor Seven Trees, and Dragon Treasure couldn't sense him, but you could sense being spied on?

With no time for deep investigation, and fearing an accident, Xu Xiaoshou suppressed his curiosity and focused his thoughts on the Sub-Dimensional Gate, which connected the inner and outer twin planes of Void Island. He wasn't a fan of peeking. His purpose in seeking Void Island was naturally not to spy on the daily exile of the Four Saint Emperors, but to find the Sub-Dimensional Gate and its controller. If he remembered correctly, the Sub-Dimensional Gate, as the key to Void Island, should now be in the hands of the Eighth Sword Immortal... Ba Zunan! *This* was the ultimate ally!

Despite his usual mental grumbling, Xu Xiaoshou had never underestimated this person. What Dao Qiongcang had said to Cursed Yin Ranming about Shen Yi and Kui Leihan was too ethereal. To cling to their coattails, he'd have to wait for an opportunity. Or perhaps kill a Cao Er Zun first to force someone in, but whether Kui Leihan would even enter God's Relic was another matter. Dao Qiongcang's nonsense might have been meant to deceive the Cursed Yin Evil God, and Xu Xiaoshou certainly couldn't take it seriously himself.

If he could, at this moment, rely on himself to contact Ba Zunan through the Sub-Dimensional Gate... Xu Xiaoshou had a wild idea! The Heaven Ancestor Spirit was too ethereal; he wanted this weakened Ancestor God to use Void Island and the Sub-Dimensional Gate to bring Ba Zunan into the fray. Why hide the sword any longer? God's Relic was beyond the supervision of the five great Saint Emperor families, and the rules of the Holy God Continent couldn't reach it—this was the best place to unleash oneself. "Draw your sword, just you and I!"

Then, he would have Ba Zunan draw his sword in God's Relic, cut down Cursed Yin Ranming with it, and then, under Xu Xiaoshou's guidance, break open God's Relic. He would also leave him an apricot realm jade slip in advance... By then, upon returning to Osmanthus Mountain and facing Ai Cangsheng, he could simply use a grand summoning spell to call Ba Zunan! Ai Cangsheng? A pre-arranged net like a heaven-and-earth trap? "With Dao Qiongcang in my left hand, Ba Zunan in my right, and Shen Yi trailing behind me like a little tail, what can you fight me with?"

"Hehehe..." Xu Xiaoshou could almost see the settlement screen for clearing the Holy God Continent dungeon. Soon, he ended his fantasy time and returned to reality. Reality was stark! The Sub-Dimensional Gate was easily found. Ba Zunan actually carried this key, keeping it close by. Xu Xiaoshou sensed a large stone room, presumably a seclusion chamber. Although the stone room was large, the active space within was extremely small because it was filled with mountains of dry rations and water.

"Doesn't he know how to use a spatial ring to store things?" His thoughts bypassed the piles of dry rations and arrived before a stone table illuminated by a single, flickering candle. In the dim candlelight, the eight-fingered cripple, 'Little An'an,' was emaciated, his face sallow, looking like he was at death's door. He wasn't even cultivating in this seclusion chamber; he was just holding a large wolf-hair brush between two fingers, shakily writing something on rice paper...

Xu Xiaoshou looked at the crooked, squiggly characters on the paper, uglier than Elder Sang's handwriting, and sighed internally, abandoning his plan to bring this cripple into God's Relic. "What a beautiful piece of 'Heaven Rewards Diligence'!" The voice was sudden and eerily strange. The brush stroke paused, and Ba Zunan seemed to freeze before the stone table, then glanced towards the Sub-Dimensional Gate casually left on the table, his brows furrowing. He showed no surprise or anger, remaining calm in the face of crisis, only asking softly, "Who?"

Xu Xiaoshou chuckled inwardly, then, putting on a solemn voice like a descending divine melody, he declared sternly: "For a hundred generations, none compare to this prodigy, me!" *Clatter.* The wolf-hair brush fell to the floor. Ba Zunan's mouth twitched slightly as he looked around with a surprised expression. "Xu Xiaoshou? Aren't you in the relic?" He saw nothing and sensed nothing. As he had said initially, he was just an eight-fingered cripple, and now he didn't even have spiritual perception.

Soon, the ethereal divine voice descended again: "I, Xu Xiaoshou, have been enshrined as an Ancestor God! Bathe, change your clothes, face east and kowtow three times, light a stick of incense, and chant 'God Shou is above,' then you shall behold my true form." Ba Zunan's eyelids twitched wildly upon hearing this. Then, with a grim face, he snatched the Sub-Dimensional Gate and walked towards the stone room's door. "Ning Honghong, throw this thing into the Scented Home of Flowers for sealing, and tell Haitang'er not to respond no matter what she hears."

"What?" Xu Xiaoshou exclaimed in shock, "Wait, wait!" "What?" a voice from outside the stone room echoed, "Brother, I can't hear you, speak louder!" "You have one sentence," Ba Zunan said, staring at the Sub-Dimensional Gate, his hand on the stone door's opening mechanism. Xu Xiaoshou dared not mess around anymore and got straight to the point: "I'm trapped in God's Relic! The Cursed Yin Evil God has revived and possessed Ranming Dao Infant, confronting the Heaven Ancestor Spirit. Shen Yi is also trapped, and Dao Qiongcang is spouting endless nonsense. I contacted Void Island through the Heaven Ancestor Spirit, then the Sub-Dimensional Gate, and that's how I found you..."

At this point, Xu Xiaoshou clicked his tongue, finding it quite strange, how much it resembled some kind of scam. He swallowed the unconscious "transfer fifty to me, save me" and added, "I'm the real deal, and I don't sell tea leaves. Only you and I have heard 'For a hundred generations, none compare to this prodigy,' you can trust me on that, right?" Ba Zunan fell into thought. Xu Xiaoshou had an excellent memory, and sharply exclaimed, "For a hundred generations, none compare to this prodigy; for ten thousand years, no master will emerge!" Ba Zunan's mouth twitched again.

Seeing that it worked, Xu Xiaoshou continued to recall: "Three breaths, if you don't speak, if I become a god, I'll chop you first!" "Enough." Ba Zunan couldn't maintain his composure. Unless the Heaven Ancestor had been possessed by an evil god or demon god, this could indeed only be Xu Xiaoshou—these were the exact words he had spoken when the two of them met the Heaven Ancestor. However, the amount of information Xu Xiaoshou had just conveyed was simply too vast. Ranming's Relic had descended into such chaos, becoming an Ancestor God's battlefield? "I can't go in." Ba Zunan knew Xu Xiaoshou's intentions without even needing to ask. But he offered no specific explanation, only stating, "I can't leave."

"Then what do I do?" Xu Xiaoshou desperately needed to cling to this powerful ally; he had no other recourse. Ba Zunan frowned, pondered for a moment, then asked, "You just mentioned Dao Qiongcang?" "Yes, he's with me right now—a total useless waste. Besides his glib tongue and some past legends, he can't do anything now. At critical moments, I still have to rely on myself!" Ba Zunan chose to selectively not understand, and after a brief contemplation, stated firmly: "Go ask him! Before leaving the relic, you can completely trust Dao Qiongcang; just follow him. Since he dared to enter the relic, he absolutely has a backup plan to survive. In his eyes, your life, Shen Yi's life, and even an Ancestor God's life are less precious than his own. But remember!" Ba Zunan's voice became grave: "After you leave the relic, forget all ties with Dao Qiongcang, forget every promise he made to you. From the moment you successfully escape, you must be vigilant and treat him as a stranger. He is more terrifying than the Cursed Yin you currently see. If you let your guard down, you won't even know how you died."

Dao Qiongcang? Him? And me, develop feelings for him? Am I some kind of weirdo so desperate I have a preference for ugly iron and a cut-sleeve fetish? I haven't even developed feelings for the Ancestor God's Destiny! Xu Xiaoshou fell silent. He was greatly disappointed with Ba Zunan. Indeed useless, indeed completely unhelpful at the crucial moment.

After sizing up this eight-fingered cripple again, Xu Xiaoshou felt that the legend of "The Eighth Sword Immortal" was likely fabricated by public opinion when Qin's power was at its peak. Running out of time, he finally asked, "Weren't you quite majestic when you fought Gou Wuyue in White Grotto? And during the Void Island battle, although it was all empty talk and I took the fall, you still managed to show your face. Why are you regressing now, not even a Half-Saint, imprisoning yourself in this dilapidated stone room... practicing calligraphy? When will you be strong again?"

Ba Zunan was momentarily stunned, then chuckled lightly. "Soon." Xu Xiaoshou pressed on, "If I leave God's Relic and return to Osmanthus Mountain, will you come then?" Fearing the guy would just shake his head and refuse, Xu Xiaoshou unleashed his ultimate move: "I saw Wuxiu. He said he misses you very much and fondly remembers the good times fighting alongside you back then. He's thought about you so much his head has gone bald." Ba Zunan once again chose selective deafness, but didn't directly refuse. After a moment's thought, he sighed, "We'll see." He then blew out the candle on the stone table.