Chapter 1653: The Tenth Ancestor's Origin in the Stele, A Shout Causes the Wheel of Life to Retreat

"Dragon?"

The archaic character for "dragon" was familiar to everyone.

It lay silently in the starry sky, unmoved by anything, its light and shadow flickering, appearing and disappearing intermittently.

"Be careful."

Even with his extraordinary experience, Dao Qiongcang frowned but asked no questions. He believed that if he didn't recognize something, it was even less likely that Xu Xiaoshou or Bazun'an would.

With a shared glance, they tacitly agreed not to leave the Divine Ruins.

Dao Qiongcang remotely directed a Heavenly Secret Puppet to approach. It must be said, in such moments, cannon fodder was very useful. Thirty thousand li across the starry sky, the Heavenly Secret Puppet could cover the distance in a mere dozen breaths at top speed.

"It's slowing down!"

Xu Xiaoshou watched closely, calculating precisely that the closer the Heavenly Secret Puppet got to the ancient character "dragon," the slower it moved. Once it stepped within a hundred-li radius of the "dragon" character, the Heavenly Secret Puppet didn't even manage a warning or a reaction, nor did it emit any sound. It disintegrated, reduced to nothingness. It died instantly!

Dao Qiongcang's pupils widened. He knew best the grade of the puppet he had created. Even without activating its various defensive measures, its basic constitution was equivalent to a first-grade Shield Warrior, barely capable of semi-saint level defense.

"No warning...""No reaction...""Died without any delay..."

These were the most crucial points. Nothing could explain the Heavenly Secret Puppet's demise except for an incredibly vast disparity in power.

"Try again?" Xu Xiaoshou glanced at the flamboyant old Daoist, showing no sympathy for the Heavenly Secret Puppet's disappearance.

Dao Qiongcang did not refuse. With a wave of his hand, he summoned another hundred puppets, then paused... He dispatched only nine, sending them toward the "dragon" character from different directions.

"Stingy!" Xu Xiaoshou seized the opportunity, his voice muffled: "You're much stingier than I imagined!"

Dao Qiongcang didn't even turn his head: "I'm not just stingy; I'm petty and narrow-minded too."

"You are indeed narrow-minded, holding a grudge over a single sentence for so long." Xu Xiaoshou, already prepared for this, retorted.

Dao Qiongcang couldn't be bothered to argue with him, vigilantly watching the Heavenly Secret Puppets' movements.

"Crack, crack, crack, crack..."

Without exception, all the Heavenly Secret Puppets, distributed in a spherical formation, were annihilated as they approached within a hundred-li radius of the "dragon" character.

"Indeed!"

Xu Xiaoshou flipped his hand, revealing a spherical space in his palm, intricately etched with countless complex Dao principles, resembling Heavenly Secret Dao patterns. At the same time, Dao Qiongcang also turned his palm upward, revealing a spherical object containing countless flickering sharp sword lights, akin to a Zhǐ Realm force field.

Both spoke in unison:"It should look like this..."

After a surprised glance at each other, they spoke again:"Great minds think alike."

After a pause, their voices overlapped, with an added peculiarity.Dao Qiongcang: "As expected of you."Xu Xiaoshou: "As expected of me."

Within the ancient book world, Bazun'an was stunned by these three sentences. He truly hadn't expected that after merely experiencing the small Yanming Ruins, Xu and Dao could develop such a level of tacit understanding. If not for his Sword Will, which had sent his consciousness and resided in Xu Xiaoshou's Sword Observation Scripture, Bazun'an would have believed that it was a Heavenly Secret Puppet cooperating with the flamboyant old Daoist to put on a show for him. For no reason, a slight sense of crisis arose in his heart...

Bazun'an extinguished the feeling of crisis. "How absurd."

"If Chongyin isn't dead, then this must be their contingency plan." Dao Qiongcang stated, his gaze fixed on the "dragon" character, hitting the nail on the head.

Contingency plan... Xu Xiaoshou fell into thought. Seeing his silence, the flamboyant old Daoist continued to prod his thoughts: "Either soul or will, their contingency plan is definitely hidden within this character. Do you want to go and see?"

Talk was talk, but seeing was seeing. Xu Xiaoshou used the Heavenly Realm Core to peek. Dao Qiongcang used Heavenly Secret Puppets to investigate. Both of their true bodies remained huddled within the Divine Ruins, not venturing out. Chongyin had failed, and they seemed to be the victors, yet surprisingly, neither of them felt like they had won.

"Why me?" Xu Xiaoshou pondered, stroking his chin. In reality, he didn't want to go at all. The only point worth considering was: if they continued to procrastinate with the flamboyant old Daoist, no one would bother to thoroughly investigate the "dragon" character. What if Chongyin was just moments away from successful revival, and this small amount of time was all that was missing? Then they would truly regret it.

What I could think of, Dao Qiongcang could also think of! What I was anxious about, he should be even more anxious about!

"Shall we go together?" Dao Qiongcang considered both sides, choosing to skip the intermediate series of negotiations, as he too knew that time waited for no one.

"Alright." Xu Xiaoshou dared not delay. He took the flamboyant old Daoist's hand and looked at the starry sky: "Whoever runs first is a puppy."

"Agreed!"

On the ancient book, Bazun'an stumbled, his expression becoming very complex. This was Xu Xiaoshou's first time stepping into the starry sky. Exploring with consciousness and physical intervention felt entirely different. Carrying the Shattered Jun Shield, guided by the Spirit Rhino Art, he discerned the path. After passing through the spatial-temporal fragments, the environment suddenly changed. The violent spatial-temporal storms were gone. The world of perpetual darkness was gone. Stepping out from the black hole rift, the raging giant shrunk into human form, treading upon the gravity-less void.

"Whoosh...""Inhale..."

Xu Xiaoshou was somewhat unaccustomed to it, his body tumbling halfway. He then used spiritual essence to protect himself, simulating a normal gravitational environment on his body's surface, only then able to move freely.

Silence! Absolute silence! Not only did his breathing and heartbeat sound abrupt, but without even needing to look within, Xu Xiaoshou could also hear the surging of his blood and qi inside his body simply by concentrating.

"A wondrous feeling..."

Gazing out, the starry sky was vast and boundless. Amidst an aura of antiquity and desolation, countless Heavenly Secret Puppets were gathered far away, forming a grand formation that was not yet activated. At the center of the formation, the weighty character silently slept.

"Dragon!"

The "dragon" character was thick, looking as if it had been carved out of a stone tablet. Light and shadow pulsed on the character, appearing and disappearing, like a human heartbeat, full of life's rhythm.

"What exactly is this?" Xu Xiaoshou could no longer contain his curiosity. Chongyin was an Evil God, an evilized form of the Ancestor of Arts. Neither of these had any connection to the character "dragon."

"Dragon Ancestor?" If it were related to the Dragon Ancestor, that would also be very strange. He recalled that during the divine battle he witnessed upon first entering the Yanming Ruins, only the powers of the Saint Ancestor, Heavenly Ancestor, Demonic Ancestor, and Ancestor of Arts were present. Including the God Slasher, there were five great Ancestral Gods! The Dragon Ancestor was not among them. The only thing Xu Xiaoshou knew to be connected to the Dragon Ancestor was a dragon apricot, currently lying dormant in the Apricot Realm. So, for this "dragon" character to appear here, and potentially be utilized by Chongyin, was very abrupt.

"Are the Evil Gods related to the Dragon Ancestor?" Dao Qiongcang also murmured, avoiding the direct question without answering, as if the words "I don't know" were too difficult to utter.

Xu Xiaoshou glanced at him, then withdrew his gaze, no longer holding out hope. "Do you know?" He focused his attention on Bazun'an, who was within the ancient book world. This Bazun'an wielded the power of Bazun'an from the era when the Sword Observation Scripture was first created, but his consciousness was that of the Eight-fingered Cripple, possessing vast life experience. Perhaps, he might actually be reliable.

Dao Qiongcang saw Xu Xiaoshou's sudden silence and immediately knew he had turned to ask someone else. He wasn't surprised, only looked with similar expectation at Xu Xiaoshou's dantian: "It should be in this position, if it could manifest in human form..."

Bazun'an observed from afar. By this point, his outline had become extremely faint, clearly indicating, as he had said, that he didn't have much time left.

"Get closer." He didn't directly deny it. The moment he said this, Xu Xiaoshou and Dao Qiongcang's eyes lit up simultaneously.

Swish! Swish! Two figures, fearless of death, appeared three hundred li away from the "dragon" character. Every hundred li ahead of them, there was a Heavenly Secret Puppet or an ancient fossil.

"I don't recognize this thing..." Bazun'an observed for a while, frowning and slightly shaking his head. Had it been anyone else, they would likely have been greatly disappointed by now. Xu and Dao, however, were not disappointed; instead, they grew even more expectant, waiting for a "but."

"But I might have heard of it."

"How so?" Xu Xiaoshou pressed.

"You know Elder You, You Tu, right? He once told me he saw a stone tablet, thick with a rounded top, on which a single character was carved."

"...Sword?" Dao Qiongcang spoke.

Bazun'an remained silent, so Xu Xiaoshou, as if having found the answer, pointed at the distant "dragon" character and also said: "Sword?"

Bazun'an nodded. "Sword, the archaic character for 'sword'!"

"Elder You said that when he first saw it, he noticed nothing unusual, but upon closer examination, he was astonished by its divine nature."

"The character 'sword' on that tablet seemed to contain the true essence of the Way of the Sword. The Nine Great Sword Arts, Eighteen Sword Streams, and Three Thousand Sword Ways could all be traced back to it. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it the source of the Way of the Sword."

That statement was a bit too absolute. Xu and Dao exchanged glances, both startled and somewhat disbelieving: "Isn't the origin of the Way of the Sword the Sword God Gu Louying?"

"I asked the same question." Bazun'an stated that he too had asked the same question, then added: "Elder You's reply was ambiguous, not like an evasion, but rather that he himself wasn't entirely clear on the truth of the matter."

"Where did he see that tablet?" Dao Qiongcang suddenly asked.

Bazun'an didn't answer, seemingly considering whether to respond to the question. In the end, he didn't raise his voice, only quietly told Xu Xiaoshou: "He didn't say. I guess it's the Sword Tower. But whether Elder You has been to the Sword Tower, I'm also not certain."

The Sword Tower... Liu Fuyu? Xu Xiaoshou suddenly remembered this woman who, as soon as he entered Jade Capital City, had relentlessly pursued him, trying to capture him and take him to the Sword Tower. And then... his train of thought broke off.

Bazun'an didn't say much. Neither the "sword" character nor the "dragon" character ultimately yielded an answer, even if a connection to Liu Fuyu was made... Liu Fuyu was mysterious too! Besides knowing she was Liu Fuyu of the Sword Tower, and now Liu Fuyu of the First Tower in the Sky, Xu Xiaoshou knew nothing else. Connecting it to her was like drawing a blank!

Dao Qiongcang was not someone who needed others to give him answers. He only needed to hear, to understand, and didn't even need to hear everything. After a brief moment of thought, he clarified his reasoning and spoke: "Stop talking in riddles. What can't be said in front of me? The Sword Tower, right?"

Both Xu and Bazun'an were speechless. What a terrifying mind!

Dao Qiongcang continued on his own: "That tablet you mentioned, with a single character containing ancient sword art inheritance, comparable to the Sword God Gu Louying's inheritance... The Saint Divine Continent doesn't have such a thing; if it did, it would have been taken by the five great Saint Emperor families long ago. Secondly, the Sword Tablet inheritance and the Sword God's inheritance aren't necessarily two separate things. What if they're the same? What if the Sword God gained enlightenment from observing the tablet? One for the tablet, two for the Sword God, and combined, they gave birth to three, the Ancient Way of the Sword, which gives rise to all things? Or perhaps the other way around, the Sword God cast the tablet to leave behind his inheritance after becoming a god and an ancestor? The Sword God's inheritance isn't in the Five Domains; it's rumored to be in the Sword Tower..."

As Dao Qiongcang spoke, he looked at Xu Xiaoshou: "Isn't Liu Fuyu looking for you? If you have time, go with her to the Sword Tower. See the 'sword' character on that tablet with your own eyes. With your ingenuity, you should then be able to understand the 'dragon' character as well."

Xu Xiaoshou: "..."Bazun'an: "..."

This guy's thought process was terrifyingly fast. Silence fell in the starry sky for a moment. Seeing this, Dao Qiongcang smiled: "After all that talk, you two still don't understand what that 'dragon' is. I, however, have a bit of a grasp on it."

"What is it?" If it were anyone else, Xu Xiaoshou would have just asked, or stabbed them with a sword if they didn't speak. But against the flamboyant old Daoist, it wouldn't work. One had to 'cast a brick to attract jade,' to approach indirectly:

"'Sword' contains ancient sword dao inheritance, so 'dragon' must contain the Dragon Ancestor's true legacy. This tablet isn't Chongyin's; it must be waiting for me!" As Xu Xiaoshou spoke, a layer of dragon scale armor covered his body. The Dragon Ancestor's power he had obtained from the ninety-nine dragon apricots was now likely to evolve to the same level as the Heavenly Ancestor's inheritance. He tried hard to appear as if he genuinely believed this, in front of Dao Qiongcang.

With anyone else, the "jade" would have been drawn out, but Dao Qiongcang merely pursed his lips and didn't take the bait: "Go on, take it down. It'll be yours."

Xu Xiaoshou sighed, abandoning his indirect approach: "What is it?"

Only then did Dao Qiongcang's expression become subtle, a signature smile appearing at the corner of his mouth, making one's teeth itch with irritation. Just as both Xu Xiaoshou and Bazun'an thought this guy was about to say, "Heavenly secrets must not be revealed," he suddenly parted his lips and said: "The True Primordial Stele!"

Crack! Crack! The moment the four words "True Primordial Stele" were uttered, the fossils two hundred li in front of Xu Xiaoshou shattered, and Dao Qiongcang's Heavenly Secret Puppets did the same. Instantly, a ripple spread, an invisible "field" pushing outwards from the "dragon" character. The fossils and Heavenly Secret Puppets a hundred li away rapidly followed, disintegrating into nothingness.

Without thinking, Xu Xiaoshou turned and ran: "Woof!"

At the same time, barking came from the other side: "Woof!"

A quick scan of his senses revealed that Dao Qiongcang's speed as a 'dog' was no slower than his own; in fact, his reaction was even a fraction faster. Bazun'an's reaction was naturally also extremely fast. But he couldn't control his body. Upon sensing danger, he had only just taken a step toward the "dragon" character within the ancient book world: "Repeat after me."

Before he could finish the three words, Xu Xiaoshou had already dragged him back from the starry sky into the Divine Ruins.

Bazun'an: "..." At this moment, he suddenly understood that people truly were different. It was easy to change mountains and rivers, but difficult to change one's nature. Xu Xiaoshou sometimes appeared reckless, yet he never followed the same path as Bazun'an. He and Dao Qiongcang were two of a kind! This was a polite figure of speech. To put it more bluntly, Bazun'an would also be willing to say it that way.

"Crack, crack, crack!" Facts proved that tricky people had their own ways of survival. After the invisible field originating from the "dragon" character expanded in response, those who were close and didn't escape, or rather, the Heavenly Secret Puppets intentionally left by Dao Qiongcang to test the distance, quickly exploded into dust. A hundred li, a thousand li, ten thousand li... The field's range of coverage grew larger and larger. Until finally, Dao Qiongcang's heart bled. Unwilling to clash directly, he remotely controlled his Heavenly Secret Puppets to attack with long-range assaults only. Beams of light, cannons, spiritual techniques, heavenly secrets... All kinds of energies were pulverized upon touching the dragon field. The distance had been ascertained, but the field's intensity remained unknown.

Dao Qiongcang turned his head and looked at the 'puppy' beside him: "It's probably an intensity that the Shattered Jun Shield can withstand."

Translated, this meant: "Do you want to go? Succeed, and you can obtain the True Primordial Stele."

Xu Xiaoshou sneered at this human-like, dog-like thing: "I can lend you the Shattered Jun Shield."

"You go! Take my shield and withstand the attack. If you successfully acquire the 'dragon,' the credit will ultimately be yours and the Shattered Jun Shield's, so we'll share it equally."

Dao Qiongcang shook his head: "I can't lift the Shattered Jun Shield."

Xu Xiaoshou sneered: "The Shattered Jun Shield weighs the same as an Overlord."

Dao: "Not so. A shield is a heavy weapon. An Overlord is merely a staff."

Xu: "You're not the shield, how do you know it's heavier than a staff? Why not try it?"

Dao: "You're not me, how do you know if I want to try or not? Why don't you try it?"

Xu: "My apologies, I'm quite disinclined."

Dao: "Then I'll be disinclined too."

"Then I'll be disinclined, disinclined..."

"Shut up!" Bazun'an, unable to bear it any longer, snapped. These two were cowards, and yet they were squabbling over Chongyin's contingency plan. If only they had cooperated, the Divine Ruins would have been cleared long ago. Why did he even need to come?

Xu and Dao grimaced at each other, then both held their breath, intently staring at the "dragon" character. When battle reached its climax, they could unite to defeat Chongyin, with one handling the first half and the other the second. Yet, as the battle neared its end, they resumed their schemes, afraid of giving the other an advantage, or for the other to act as the 'fisherman,' catching everyone, including Chongyin, in one sweep.

"Roar—"

Though the starry sky was silent, a resounding dragon roar echoed into the Divine Ruins, resonating within their minds. Looking into the distance, above the "dragon" character, an immensely colossal five-clawed golden dragon phantom coiled up in response. The dragon's sheer size, ferocity, and imposing presence surpassed even the Demonic Emperor Black Dragon Xu Xiaoshou had seen. The moment it appeared, it gave off an impression of...

"Dragon Ancestor!"

Exchanging a glance, Xu and Dao spoke in unison, both with avarice in their eyes, yet also with increased apprehension. Had Chongyin revived by borrowing the Dragon Ancestor's power? And the Dragon Ancestor's power, seemingly originating from the True Primordial Stele, was clearly incomparable to that of the ninety-nine dragon apricots. It was probably similar to the Saint Ancestor's stone inscription, perhaps even stronger! Could Chongyin summon the Dragon Ancestor at its peak, or even control it?

In the starry sky, purple mist billowed. Beneath the five-clawed golden dragon, a faint, lingering mist quickly arose. At the same time, an eerie purple eye split open in the center of the dragon's head. The Eye of Chongyin! The moment this eye appeared, both Xu and Dao's hearts sank.

Meanwhile, Bazun'an, within the ancient book world, sighed softly at the sight and waved to Xu Xiaoshou: "Repeat after me."

"Forbidden!"

As the Eye of Chongyin on the five-clawed golden dragon opened, Chongyin's divine throne appeared, hazy, illusory, as if it would shatter with a breath of wind. Upon it rested... No Chongyin! Only fragmented bits of soul and will, seemingly gathered with great effort from the previous desperate situation. But the mist surged wildly. Chongyin's utterly mad voice echoed through the starry sky and within the minds of everyone in the Divine Ruins. Xu Xiaoshou could even visualize the scene: this guy, hidden somewhere unknown, beginning to form hand seals with two fingers. Without a doubt... Their only choice at this moment was the one spell that Xu Xiaoshou had accidentally glimpsed with his Illusory Sword Art.

"Forbidden: Reverse Cycle Rebirth!"

Xu Xiaoshou drew his Four Swords, glared fiercely at Dao Qiongcang, and ultimately, unable to contend with the tricky old man's disgusting tactics, chose to lead the charge. "Bazun'an, help me!"

First time unfamiliar, second time familiar. This time, crossing from the Divine Ruins to the starry sky only took the time of one Sword Spatial Leap. Xu Xiaoshou stood on his Sword Dao disc, sword intent surging around him, even carrying the Shattered Jun Shield on his back, exuding an unstoppable momentum.

"Dao!"

Within the ancient book world, Bazun'an stepped forward, uttering a heavenly sound: "Dao also comes in dreams, Azure Dwelling, I invite you to my heart."

This... Xu Xiaoshou was instantly drawn into the artistic conception, the artistic conception of the Illusory Sword Art. He knew Bazun'an was about to unleash a powerful move before leaving, even inviting Azure Dwelling.

"Dao!" Wielding the Four Swords, he took a step forward, opened his mouth, just about to imitate...

From afar, above the "dragon" character, Chongyin's divine throne trembled, leaving behind only a maniacal voice before vanishing without a trace.

"Forbidden: Sacrificial Spirit Forbidden Escape!"