Chapter 1637: Unintentional Willows Yield Shade; Intentional Flowers Blossom

What is Kong Yuhen doing?

Saint Emperor Wang barely registered the existence of that soft, easily manipulated Four Pillar ‘softie’. His attention was entirely on Kong Yuhen.

He just stood there, stunned by a bow? Were you knocked out by some invisible blunt object? So this is how you “intervene if you encounter injustice”? Standing still… “Daydreaming?”

Indeed, Kong Yuhen was truly stunned. The Time Ancestor’s Shadow Staff couldn’t possibly hold him for that long. Kong Yuhen had broken free from the time freeze even before the Grand Bell and Drum appeared. But when Xu Xiaoshou struck him with the staff, it wasn’t just once; he also slipped jade slips into Kong Yuhen’s internal space. A very familiar modus operandi. When dealing with the Elemental Divine Envoy Zhong Yuanzi above Jade Capital City, Xu Xiaoshou had used the same method. Three jade slips!

Kong Yuhen hesitated, then opened the first one: “Brother Yuhen, join my First Heaven Tower! I can reserve the Grand Elder position for you, demoting the current Grand Elder to Second Elder, as a sign of my respect.”

What was this? Kong Yuhen ignored the boring invitation and opened the second jade slip: “Brother Yuhen, your Mr. Bazun An asked me to tell you something. He has an answer to your question, but please help me through this current difficulty first. Actually, it’s not really helping; just don’t move. Pretend to be a wooden statue for a moment.”

Mr. Bazun An? Kong Yuhen’s memories stirred, and he genuinely recalled the last tea party on Void Island. Bazun An was one of the few who could find his way to and enter the Pavilion of Ancient and Modern Sorrows. He was very powerful. His words, actions, demeanor, insights, experience… everything. Xu Xiaoshou was also a friend. So, should he give face and help his friend this time by acting as a wooden statue? Kong Yuhen, torn between old sentiments and thoughts of injustice, hadn’t made up his mind and could only open the third jade slip.

The incoming scent instantly changed, clearly from another’s hand: “Brother Yuhen, this letter is as if we meet in person. Perhaps you have experienced another reincarnation, or perhaps you are once again lost in self-confusion, but I will always remember this day, remember the first time I entered your Pavilion of Ancient and Modern Sorrows, and the sight of us talking late into the night and sleeping side-by-side. My name is Dao Qiongcang. Perhaps you have forgotten my name, or perhaps I, in turn, have forgotten you—to this day, I have no answer for this. It doesn’t matter. This letter was created when you and I collaborated, stopping time and imprinting memories, solely for this moment of reunion. I gave myself a strict order: if I ever enter your pavilion again and see you, this letter must be delivered, even if it goes against my original intentions. It records the details of our time together, countless memories. Perhaps it can help you restore your memory, or perhaps it will be useless. But I believe the letter’s existence itself has meaning, don’t you agree? Now, allow me to tell you slowly…”

Hard control! Hard control more powerful than a time freeze! All it took were three jade slips... ridiculous, isn't it?

As his ‘Perception’ scanned the dazed Kong Yuhen, Xu Xiaoshou sighed inwardly. Before entering the Pavilion of Ancient and Modern Sorrows, Dao Qiongcang had proposed: hard control Kong Yuhen, then directly attack the evil god Cui Yin. His words sounded so mad it seemed less like Dao Qiongcang had possessed Cao Erzhu, and more like Erzhu had possessed the flashy old Daoist.

At the time, Xu Xiaoshou didn't want to do that either. After all, causing trouble on someone else’s territory—even Bazun An had never done anything so foolish. Furthermore, he felt Kong Yuhen was too “mysterious,” perhaps due to “unknown” and uncontrollable factors, so he wasn’t optimistic about Dao Qiongcang’s proposal. He preferred to proceed slowly, acting according to circumstances after entering the pavilion.

Dao Qiongcang, however, was a very contradictory person. On ordinary days, he was extremely cautious and suspicious; he generally wouldn’t attempt anything that involved even a tiny variable. Yet, at a critical moment, when faced with the issue of breaking into the pavilion, he was decisive... no, reckless!

Xu Xiaoshou thought, perhaps this was the fundamental difference between middle-aged/elderly people and young people: It was evident that the flashy old Daoist also had his own insights into Kong Yuhen. He also respected “mystery” and “unknown,” but at this moment, he was thinking of using them. Middle-aged/elderly people suddenly getting hot-blooded? Unexplained overflowing confidence? He didn't understand.

Anyway, when Dao Qiongcang handed him that jade slip, Xu Xiaoshou didn’t believe in such strange things. But having cooperated all the way through the Divine Remains, he truly couldn’t doubt the flashy old Daoist’s judgment. He silently added two more jade slips, handing them all to Kong Yuhen, preparing two backup plans.

“Perhaps it’s the thriving and prosperous First Heaven Tower that attracted our ‘Anxiety Bro’.”

“Perhaps Bazun An’s influence is truly great, helping me keep ‘Anxiety Bro’ in check.”

Xu Xiaoshou leaned towards the latter of his self-speculations. After all, judging from the previous visit to the Pavilion of Ancient and Modern Sorrows, Bazun An and Kong Yuhen had conversed happily, and the latter had shown great respect to the former. At critical moments, Old Eight always proved true to his words in White Cave; even without presenting his eight-character token, his name alone was effective. One can only say... the ‘Face Fruit’ never fails!

Xu Xiaoshou also didn’t think Dao Qiongcang’s jade slip would have much effect. Dealing with a special existence like Kong Yuhen relied on bonds, memories, and emotions; in essence, it depended on the “person.” This generation’s Kong Yuhen didn’t seem to know Dao Qiongcang yet? So it couldn’t possibly be that the flashy old Daoist wrote an 800-word emotional essay, relying on “Anxiety Bro” to read it word by word to achieve a strong control effect, could it? Amusing. Regardless, Kong Yuhen was “fixed” in place!

And when he drew out the four swords and aimed them at Saint Emperor Wang, Xu Xiaoshou’s outwardly fierce but inwardly cowardly pretense also seemed to work. This high and mighty Saint Emperor seemed, from the start, to have never even considered Xu Xiaoshou—a rising giant of the new era capable of directly confronting even evil gods—as worthy of his attention. What more could Xu Xiaoshou say? He had already warned him! If the other party didn’t listen and looked down on others, they deserved to pay the price!

“Buzz!”

The moment the Pavilion of Ancient and Modern Sorrows lit up with the Sword Dao Abstruse Array, Saint Emperor Wang was astonished. His soul body’s forward momentum couldn’t help but pause, as he looked at the Four Pillar “softie” he had rarely bothered to glance at. He shouldn’t be called Four Pillars anymore. In just a few short months, he had grown to this extent, capable of forcefully activating the Sword Dao Abstruse Array without the power of the Four Pillars. This indeed made him worthy of remembering his name: Xu Xiaoshou!

But... “Prajna Wu?” Saint Emperor Wang scoffed inwardly.

Heart Sword Skill Prajna Wu—Dao Qiongcang had previously analyzed this for the Five Great Saint Emperors, back when Xu Xiaoshou hadn’t even successfully reincarnated. The hypothetical enemy that outrageous young man used was Bazun An, who was countless times stronger than Xu Xiaoshou. Saint Emperor Wang did not know Shen Yi. Bazun An’s “illustrious name” and various deeds had long been known within the Sacred Land’s secret realms. Saint Emperor Wang wasn’t interested in the heroic deeds of young people. Who hadn’t been young? Only if they didn’t die prematurely might their deeds have a slight chance of catching his eye. The only thing that impressed him was that Bazun An was dating the Moon Palace Slave at the time, which was like a toad licking a peerless white swan.

“Prajna Wu focuses more on the spiritual and mental aspects, aiming to erase an opponent’s consciousness and intelligence with a single sword strike. This sword greatly consumes mental energy. After all, the second realm of Heart Sword Skill is equivalent to the profound mysteries of Spirit Refining, yet it simultaneously integrates several great profound mysteries; ordinary people cannot use it. In this era, only You Tu, Mei Si, and Bazun An have a deep understanding of Heart Sword Skill. As for the rest, Wen Ting of the Buried Sword Tomb, although he isn’t among the Ten Revered Ones, his talent is good, and he might also be able to use it... hmm, perhaps. I’ve only met this person a few times and haven’t seriously fought him. Of course, if one were to forcefully unsheathe the sword regardless of consequences, all seven Sword Immortals have the potential to forcefully activate the second realm. This goes without saying, as Hua Changdeng is a madman, and an example... well, one could say ancient sword cultivators are all madmen.”

“So, how does one break the sword?” Saint Emperor Wang clearly remembered that this question was not posed by himself or other Saint Emperors at the time, but by that boy Li from the Han Palace Imperial Realm who attended the meeting. He was very curious about breaking ancient sword skills; he must have suffered greatly from them. Or perhaps, from the bottom of his heart, he disapproved of his sister’s relationship and was already making certain preparations.

The outrageous young man’s words were never concise or to the point; during his theoretical discussions, he could always delve very deeply, as if he were the only one in the world who shone: “Heart Sword Skill Prajna Wu is fundamentally slightly different from other major sword skills. It requires the wielder to concentrate fully, elevating their mental attack to its peak in the shortest possible time. As is well known, ancient sword cultivators generally have poor physical health, and their mental state is even worse. Under full exertion, most of these mentally taxing swords are barely unleashed. This creates a phenomenon: those who use Prajna Wu mostly remain stationary, their bodies rooted to the spot. This sword is an attack, but also a hard control on themselves! Again, the reaction must be swift. We absolutely cannot be intimidated by the second realm, nor can we panic and run away the moment we see the Sword Dao Abstruse Array... The attack power of ancient sword cultivators is no joke; we must remain calm! Activate array, gather mental energy, then strike with the sword—this is the unchanging sequence of Prajna Wu. Ancient sword cultivators are mostly flashy; we can entirely exploit their usual mannerisms. If we encounter Prajna Wu, we must seize the series of small movements before he strikes and utilize that time. Capturing the leader first or acting later but arriving first are both viable. As long as the wielder is struck, their mental state will be unstable, and Prajna Wu will collapse on its own, with the wielder even suffering backlash from the sword!”

“What if we don’t strike them?” Moon Palace Li asked, posing another angle.

“Then you were too slow!” Dao Qiongcang cast a cold glance, his statement still outrageous. “I’ve already said: be fast, be fast! If you can’t be fast, the ancient sword cultivator’s sword will show you what ‘pain’ means.”

“What’s the best way to ‘capture the leader first’?” The most cynical young master of the Han Palace Imperial Realm was taking notes on a jade slip at the time. It was quite amusing; he seemed extremely serious about Dao Qiongcang’s theoretical discussions. —Perhaps that was just another form of cynicism!

Dao Qiongcang seemed very impatient with him: “Whatever you’re good at, use that. If you’re an ancient martial artist, charge in and give him a punch first. If you can freeze him with a spiritual skill, then freeze him from a distance. Coldness causes palpitations, and palpitations lead to unstable sword strikes—Prajna Wu maximizes mental attack, leaving its own defense almost zero.”

“What if I use a mental attack to target his zero mental defense at that moment?” Moon Palace Li proposed a bold idea.

Without a doubt, his question was met with furious condemnation: “Sick in the head, turn left, head to the Mourning Imperial Realm.”

“Ancient sword cultivators’ strongest attribute is attack. They are already using mental attacks on you, and you want to counter-attack with your own mental attack? Do you think your counter-attack can be stronger than Prajna Wu?”

“But you said his mental defense is zero at that moment…” Moon Palace Li refused to be humiliated.

“Haven’t you heard the saying, ‘The strongest offense is the strongest defense’?” Dao Qiongcang sneered. “In the path of Heart Sword Skill, this also applies. If we can maneuver, we should try not to directly clash, alright?”

Moon Palace Li nodded thoughtfully.

Finally, Saint Emperor Wang remembered him asking this question: “What about soul attacks?”

At the time, Dao Qiongcang nodded with extreme certainty: “If you can, it’s best. Attacking the body is inferior; attacking the soul is superior. If you can abandon your physical body, entrust your will to your soul, and simultaneously unleash your strongest soul attack... Congratulations, as long as your speed allows you to startle his soul before Prajna Wu is fully unleashed. You don’t even need to harm him; once he’s startled, this sword absolutely cannot be cast!”

This is the moment! It’s a soul attack! Be fast, fastest, faster—directly startle him! Once this boy’s soul is startled and his consciousness in disarray, Prajna Wu will collapse on its own, and he’ll suffer backlash, ranging from severe injury to unconsciousness!

Saint Emperor Wang sneered inwardly. After the battle on Void Island, he had traced how Rao Yaoyao died. At that time, Rao Yaoyao only had a wisp of residual thought left, escaping Void Island by relying on the Star Moon Singer’s final song. Xu Xiaoshou, relying on the Four Pillars, still needed to forcefully activate the second realm of Prajna Wu to annihilate that wisp of Rao Yaoyao’s residual thought, which was utterly powerless to resist.

Was he strong? He was quite strong, being able to activate the second realm of ancient sword arts at such a young age. Was he weak? He was too weak! A demi-saint’s residual thought could be extinguished with a wave of a hand. Why use an ox-cleaver to kill a chicken? Did he really need to activate the second realm to erase it? Could it be that in this boy’s eyes, anyone named Rao could be dealt with using Prajna Wu?

“Soul Annihilation Spirit Glimmer!”

The instant the Sword Dao Abstruse Array appeared, Saint Emperor Wang’s third-realm combat awareness was no joke. He didn’t even hesitate or think of retreating for a moment. He surged forward! His soul body formed hand seals! Ripping soul-force gales instantly swirled within the Pavilion of Ancient and Modern Sorrows. There was no need for a surprise attack or to advance; it simply rose up directly at the spot where Xu Xiaoshou was “standing.”

“Boom, boom, boom—”

The storm swept forth. But the expected scream did not come. Saint Emperor Wang, who had prepared a second soul attack as a backup and had already lunged in front of Xu Xiaoshou, paused for a moment. Because... Xu Xiaoshou, was gone?

“Where is he?!”

This guy, who, according to Dao Qiongcang’s tactics, should have remained stationary after drawing his sword and then been hit by a counter-attack that made him doubt life itself. Had he vanished into thin air?

“Where is he?!!” Saint Emperor Wang stood dazed, then an inexplicable rage surged in his heart, causing his soul body’s eyes to burst with crimson blood light. “Dao Qiongcang, where is he!!!”

Dao Qiongcang was startled. “What does that have to do with me?” For a moment, he thought Rao Wang had recognized him. But on second thought, that shouldn’t be the case, right? As soon as I saw Xu Xiaoshou also wanted to deal with your half-soul body, I didn’t plan to get involved. Why are you yelling at me? You should be yelling at Xu Xiaoshou!

Inside the pavilion, as Xu Xiaoshou disappeared, a point of white light appeared in his place, interrupting everyone’s thoughts. The white light was like a candle, initially quite dim, then abruptly transformed into a dazzling white sun, completely replacing everyone’s vision in the area.

“Is this Prajna Wu?” Saint Emperor Wang was almost insane. He hadn’t felt the slightest premonition of a mental attack. Instead, he now felt a chill around him, as if he were banished by the Great Dao and abandoned by heaven and earth. A whisper suddenly echoed in his ears, like the Grim Reaper softly playing a dirge: “All myriad forms, the light of day; wild sprouts, mere decay. Garments return to primal dissolution; the supreme is forsaken.”

Void Sword Skill, Second Realm, Heaven Abandonment!

Dao Qiongcang watched with wide eyes, secretly switching to the Six Paths of Qiongcang Sword Immortal Dao mode in his heart. Whether he could learn it wasn’t important. Remembering it was what mattered; he would imitate whatever he could later. Xu Xiaoshou had grown stronger again! At the same time, seeing this sword and hearing Saint Emperor Wang’s cry, Dao Qiongcang seemed to understand something. “An unintentional act can yield unexpected results...”

“Who said theoretical discussions were useless? Though I was green back then, everything I proposed was very useful!”

Saint Emperor Wang’s mind was blank at this moment. As his soul body rushed into the “white day,” as the Great Dao turned away from him, as his armor and self abandoned him bit by bit... Heaven Abandonment was fully formed! His half-body soul form was completely ruined!

“Why?”

Until the very end, Saint Emperor Wang couldn’t believe any of this was happening. So fast! Too fast! His physical body shattered quickly, and his soul body also vanished quickly! He felt as if he had been guided, his combat thinking and direction of thought were unilaterally extreme, foolish beyond words. Even at this moment, when he should have still resisted and not admitted powerlessness, he forgot to take out the Sacred Ancestor Stone Tablet, forgot to use the scapegoat straw doll. His thoughts, even as his soul body withered piece by piece, were still turning, still immersed in past memories, still trying to find flaws in Heaven Abandonment, to mend the fold after the sheep were lost:

“What about Heaven Abandonment? What are your thoughts on this sword art?” Moon Palace Li asked.

“Hmm,” Dao Qiongcang, having finished discussing Prajna Wu, expressed helplessness regarding the new question. He spread his hands and shook his head: “Bazun An rarely uses Void Sword Skill, or rather, he rarely uses Heaven Abandonment, a sub-skill of Void Sword Skill. He mostly uses Void Sword Skill to assist his other sword techniques, so there’s very little useful information. For this ancient sword art, you’ll probably have to ask Wen Ting of the Buried Sword Tomb, but I also said earlier... I don’t have much contact with Wen Ting. I haven’t seen him use Heaven Abandonment.”