Chapter 1664: Unselfish Devotion to the Sky, Long Live Friendship and Good Friends

The atmosphere suddenly became tense. Xu Xiaoshou was somewhat surprised; the word "overstepped" had come too suddenly. He wasn't even sure how Dao Qiongcang defined this "boundary" in his mind.

"The Gray Palace of Xu Yue, an ally of my First Tower in the Sky." Xu Xiaoshou didn't say much, knowing Dao Qiongcang would understand his meaning. If he, Xu Xiaoshou, could easily abandon his allies, then he would be an unprincipled person. If even Dao Qiongcang could accept this, then in the future, could this "friend," who was even closer than an ally, also be discarded or abandoned at any time?

"I know," Dao Qiongcang replied calmly. "But they're just allies, right? And only half of the Gray Palace of Xu Yue are allies—just the traditionalists, not including the warmongers? The high-ranking officials of your First Tower in the Sky and those of the Gray Palace of Xu Yue haven't even held a single symposium; it's just a verbal alliance, am I correct?" He countered casually, as if he had never left the scene. Indeed, multitasking was not difficult for him; after all, he had just taken a quick trip through the depths of his memories.

After speaking, he didn't stop but bent down to pick up a large handful of pebbles from the ground, about a dozen of them. Squatting, he first piled the pebbles beside his feet, then pushed the first one towards Xu Xiaoshou's feet. "Wuxiu." He pushed another. "Shuigui." He pushed yet another. "Cen Qiaofu." He pushed one more. "Fengtian Saint Emperor." At this point, he paused, pointing at the pebbles by Xu Xiaoshou's feet and said, "Anyone connected to you, I returned to you without a word. Even though Wuxiu was the boss of Fenqin and once inflicted immense harm upon me. Shuigui's predecessor was Yu Mo, who made me experience the most detested feeling of betrayal. Cen Qiaofu goes without saying. Fengtian Saint Emperor was originally an inner island ghost beast who should have been confined in the Dead Sea to prevent him from harming the world. His ownership was never yours but mine from the start... Leaving these aside, at the very least, I could have taken advantage of the situation to seize his Saint Emperor status, or handed him directly to Bei Huai. It's hard to imagine what benefits I could have gained from that." He sighed, said no more, and raised his eyes to look directly at Master Shou, who stood tall before him. "But as I said, I am not a vengeful person. I can forget all of these things, treating them as if they never happened. And you, my Xu, you also need to understand who I am doing this for."

"It's because of Brother Xiaoshou!" Cao Erzhu understood everything, his gaze flitting back and forth between Brother Xiaoshou and Dao Qiongcang, sensing that their relationship... perhaps "emotions"? It was so complex!

Xu Xiaoshou remained silent, vaguely understanding what Dao Qiongcang was about to say. It wasn't over yet. The flashy old Daoist remained squatting, moving the remaining pebbles to the other side, and took one to place beside his own feet. "The Infant-Forming Holy Plant, I cut it." He took another. "The Sinful Yin-Dyed Tea, I fought it." He took yet another. "And the Sinful Yin-Delirium Rule, I also contributed." He took one more. "Shen Yi, Erzhu, and Ba Zun'an—either I invited them, or I planned their invitation." At this point, he waved his hand repeatedly. "Of course, it's undeniable that you, Master Shou, also put in sweat and effort during this process, and served as a hardworking sword. But what about me? I also contributed, didn't I? At least, I put in this much effort." He gathered the pebbles by his feet into a pile, tapped it, and then pointed to Xu Xiaoshou's pile of pebbles, saying, "Your pile of pebbles is called 'Gains'—what you deserved to 'gain' after your efforts." Then he pointed to his own. "My pile of pebbles is called 'Contributions'—mine were just contributions, as if I sought no reward." After naming and explaining, he looked at the last few unassigned pebbles and pushed one over. "After your 'Gains,' you also got the Broken Jun Shield." He pushed another. "And the Ruins of the Ancestor of Arts." He pushed yet another. "And the Core of Heavenly Realm." He pushed one more. "The 'Dragon' character, that's also for your use first." Only one pebble remained... This pebble had not yet been assigned. The moment Dao Qiongcang stopped his distribution, everyone knew its name.

"I can also be a selfless person." Dao Qiongcang chuckled, then raised his eyes again to look at Xu Xiaoshou, who stood tall. "But Master Shou, you must understand that for thirty years, no one has ever received so much from me. The principle of 'to the viewer, a share' is not just a saying to me. I advocate 'equivalent exchange.' If you truly want this last pebble, if you still want it, it's not impossible to give it to you. However!" His voice grew heavy. Listening nearby, Cao Erzhu felt as if his chest had been struck by a heavy hammer, and the atmosphere became tense. Just as he thought Dao Qiongcang was about to argue forcefully and demand something in return from Brother Xiaoshou, this eccentric uncle, who never played by the rules, spoke with a wistful tone, as if deeply hurt, and began discussing life and philosophy with them. "An unequal relationship is destined not to last long. I don't want to simply keep giving, and even less do I want those who have benefited from me to be unaware of my kindness, or to take it for granted. Master Shou, what do you think?"

Damn it! Xu Xiaoshou took a deep breath, feeling the discomfort of a powerful punch, charged with force, landing on cotton. As soon as "Master Shou, you've overstepped" was uttered, he was ready for a strong resistance, or at worst, for them to turn hostile. But... he was so skilled at this! He lowered his own stance to an incredibly humble position, yet elevated the other person so high, so very high. From beginning to end, he never explicitly asked for a single thing. Yet, from start to finish, every sentence implied his desire for Bai Zhou. "What a tough nut with a soft approach!" Not only Cao Erzhu, but even Xu Xiaoshou was moved by his words, feeling that the flashy old Daoist was truly pathetic, and that he himself was the irresponsible, purely self-serving man who would take everything and then just walk away. Gazing at the last pebble, named "Bai Zhou," Xu Xiaoshou opened his mouth, yet couldn't bring himself to say "I want it." While Dao Qiongcang certainly used rhetorical skills, every word he spoke was also the plain truth. He was also a winner. He was also a collaborator. Yet he received nothing. He only wanted Bai Zhou, someone with little direct connection to him. What was wrong with that? "There is! Something is definitely wrong..." Xu Xiaoshou realized that Bai Zhou's importance might completely exceed his imagination. Facing the Origin True Stele, the flashy old Daoist wouldn't have resorted to this tactic; he would have simply waved his hand and said, "You use it first." But for Bai Zhou, he was acting like this. What did this indicate? It indicated that in his heart, Bai Zhou might be more important than one Origin True Stele, or even ten or a hundred of them. "Can you tell me what you want Bai Zhou for?" Xu Xiaoshou chose to ask directly.

Dao Qiongcang first shook his head: "There's an outsider here." Yue Gongli was momentarily stunned. Meeting the gazes from Xu and Cao, he realized what was happening and laughed in anger. "Alright, alright, so now I'm the outsider, am I? Why don't you do me a favor and treat me as an outsider... no, even lower, treat me like a fart and just let me go? Do you really think I want to be here?" But with the conversation at this point, Yue Gongli actually wanted to hear what came next. He had indeed seen the importance of Bai Zhou in the flashy old Daoist's heart, and immediately became very curious. "Is Bai Zhou..." Dao Qiongcang stood up, turning his back to Yue Gongli, as if he hadn't noticed the man's presence at all, and continued on his own: "But even with an outsider present, I can speak plainly. Master Shou, you know I have no secrets from you." Yue Gongli, completely ignored, felt worse than having a lump of excrement forcibly shoved into his mouth. His fists clenched in anger, vowing never again to speak and bring humiliation upon himself.

Dao Qiongcang said with a solemn expression, "What I truly want is not Bai Zhou himself, but the abilities of the Scaly-White Witch and the Witch Poison Body within him." Everyone present, except for Cao Erzhu, felt their minds tense. The First Six Xu! The Five Peerless Physiques! What was happening? How did these things suddenly come up? Dao Qiongcang continued: "I also generally understand your concerns, Master Shou. If you wish to protect Bai Zhou because of your connections with Jiao Tangtang, Xin Gugu, or Greedy God, Han Tianzhiyou, etc... Perhaps he can give it to you, but only after I'm done with it. But whether what ultimately reaches your hands is Bai Zhou himself, or rather, whether Bai Zhou has been Bai Zhou himself from beginning to end... these are all worth considering." Dao Qiongcang raised his hand, as if swearing: "The only thing I can guarantee is that from the very beginning, the Gray Palace of Xu Yue has been on a different path from the First Tower in the Sky! Palace Master Bai Zhou is a profit-seeking person. Recall carefully what his attitude towards you was at first, and what it was later. Palace Master Bai Zhou didn't want the Holy Slaves, but he wanted your First Tower in the Sky. Was it because you were stronger than Ba Zun'an? Perhaps!" From Dao Qiongcang's mouth, not a single word seemed to demean Master Shou; instead, there was constant support. At the end, he added, "But I think it was more because, at the time, you appeared—to put it nicely—easier to cooperate with, or to put it less nicely, easier to control. This kind of alliance, built on profit, is more fragile than paper. Allow me the offense of a friend to give you a suggestion..." Dao Qiongcang slowly shook his head: "Master Shou, don't be emotional."

Oh no! If Dao Qiongcang's tactic was indeed psychological warfare, Xu Xiaoshou realized he had likely fallen for it. His stance, which had been unwavering from the start, now wavered slightly. After a period of thought, Xu Xiaoshou realized that he hadn't been guided by the flashy old Daoist. He could easily recall Jiao Tangtang's original purpose in gifting Greedy God, and he remembered the ghost beast contract that was not an equal treaty from the very beginning. The reason the Devouring Body hadn't completely consumed him wasn't because they held back, but because his own passive abilities were too strong. The reason he didn't become a host or a puppet after the ghost beast contract wasn't due to a sudden act of kindness from the Gray Palace of Xu Yue, but because he had modified the contract himself. The reason the Gray Palace of Xu Yue's cooperative attitude evolved from Feng Xiaose's initial hesitation to Bai Zhou's complete accommodation of the First Tower in the Sky wasn't for any other reason... It was simply because his achievements on Void Island had spread, the incident of attacking Yu Jing had fermented, and his combat power in the God's Relic was clear for all to see! When he was weak, no one cared. When he became strong, all factions came to him. Dao Qiongcang's words were blunt but not unreasonable. This wasn't about sentiment, but because he had become more useful to them—because of profit!

"Xin Gugu..." Xu Xiaoshou still had some good feelings for the Gray Palace of Xu Yue, largely because Xin Gugu was decent, leading to him extending his affection. Were Xin Gugu and Bai Zhou on good terms? It probably didn't need asking; that fellow was very attached to his home, showing affection even for Elder Wuxia at the Spirit Palace Auction, so his relationship with Bai Zhou should also be quite good. As for the attitude of Greedy God, that white-eyed cat, it didn't need consideration at all. She had long ignored her family and was completely infatuated with her own life force.

Dao Qiongcang glanced at Xu Xiaoshou's expression and roughly knew what he was thinking. "When I was the Palace Master, I once saw a Red-clothed's mission report after the Battle of White Cave." Xu Xiaoshou glanced at him. To his surprise, he heard a long-unheard name from the mouth of this Daoist Palace Master: "His name was Shouye, and he died in the line of duty at Solitary Sound Cliff. His mission report mentioned you first, and because of him, I also knew of you early on." Xu Xiaoshou was slightly moved. He hadn't expected to have the chance to understand Shouye's true opinion of him from this perspective. His impression of the Red-clothed generally was poor, but his impression of Shouye, the Red-clothed, was very good; he was a true "Red-clothed"! "Before you joined the Holy Slaves, Shouye had already mentioned something to headquarters: he tried to develop you into a Red-clothed, as a successor, to inherit his mantle. He had better foresight than I did, because after he submitted that report, I glanced at it and ignored it. At that time, the name 'Xu Xiaoshou' wasn't even in my mind; it was only after you rose to prominence that I remembered it. Unfortunately, he later mentioned that your philosophy regarding ghost beasts was inconsistent with the Red-clothed's philosophy, and so the matter was dropped. In that report, he mentioned a very weak ghost beast... a very weak one, which might be the reason for your current hesitation, named 'Xin Gugu.'" Even Xin Gugu, you know... Xu Xiaoshou was silent. Every time he re-evaluated Dao Qiongcang, he felt his understanding of the man could be refreshed a bit more. It was hard to imagine how much information a person's mind had to contain, and how intensely it had to operate, to naturally bring up relevant facts when needed. And each time, he spoke with extreme accuracy. Dao Qiongcang didn't say much about Xin Gugu, perhaps because he didn't remember such a weak ghost beast; after all, he couldn't even remember "Xu Xiaoshou" at the time. "What I want to say is that coincidences truly exist in the world. Perhaps when you first entered the spirit refinement world, you met a good person, and even met good people every time. But if the general trend were truly like that, it would mean that under normal circumstances, the harm caused by the existence of ghost beasts would be greater than if ghost beasts could not exist. One Xin Gugu might give you a decent impression, but this absolutely doesn't mean that the entire traditionalist faction of the Gray Palace of Xu Yue is acceptable, much less that everyone in the Gray Palace of Xu Yue is a Xin Gugu." That was naturally true. Xu Xiaoshou understood this logic. He shook his head, clearing various distracting thoughts from his mind, knowing further deliberation was useless. In fact, as soon as Dao Qiongcang brought out his "relationship deteriorated" trump card, Xu Xiaoshou knew he wouldn't be able to keep Bai Zhou. While listening to Dao Qiongcang, what he was thinking about more was: What would the flashy old Daoist want to do after obtaining the Scaly-White Witch and Witch Poison Body abilities? Surely, after getting the Palace Master of the Gray Palace of Xu Yue, he wouldn't suddenly become benevolent and find the most reliable puppet hosts for every ghost beast in the world, bringing about peace between ghost beasts and humans, would he?

"It's yours, it's yours!" Xu Xiaoshou nudged the pebble with his foot, pushing it towards Dao Qiongcang. "Stop lecturing, okay? My ears hurt! It's just one pebble; you just needed to ask. Why say 'overstepped'... Heh, such fancy phrasing! Do you and I still need to be so clear-cut about things?"

Dao Qiongcang was momentarily startled upon hearing this. Why did these words sound so familiar? Yue Gongli watched from the side, lamenting inwardly, 'When you were about to kill me just now, didn't you use this exact same tactic? Why pretend not to understand? What filthy people! One says, "Could I possibly have really wanted to kill you?", and the other says, "Do you and I still need to be so clear-cut?" Yet, one truly wanted to kill, and the other truly wanted to distinguish. If you spoke straightforwardly, would your tongues actually twist?'

"So, the spoils are divided?" Dao Qiongcang clapped briskly three times, then looked at Master Shou and pointed to the sky: "This time, we can go out, right?" Yue Gongli's gaze snapped over. So did Cao Erzhu. "Of course," Xu Xiaoshou deliberately slowed his reply. After pondering for a moment, making sure he hadn't forgotten anything significant, he finally produced the Core of Heavenly Realm. Your planning is over, and mine can pretty much begin. "Open!" The Void Tree Gate instantly opened. This time, the few of them looked up. The tree gate, outlined by the black branches of the World Tree's Infant-Forming Holy Plant, was no longer tainted with pervasive, eerie malevolent aura. It quietly stood open, waiting for others to enter.

"Shall I scout the way for you all first?" Yue Gongli's intention was obvious to everyone. Xu Xiaoshou glanced at him. He had indeed considered leaving this person trapped in the God's Relic, perpetually confined, banished forever. In that case, no matter how deeply Yue Gongli had hidden his abilities, if he could never use them in his lifetime, it would be as if he hadn't hidden anything, meaning his strength was merely what he displayed in the God's Relic—that much, and that weak. But... it was meaningless. The fundamental difference between Yue Gongli, the Saint Emperor's successor, and Saint Emperor Wangze, the head of a Saint Emperor family, was that one had his Saint Emperor status outside, while the other brought his Saint Emperor status with him. If Wangze died here, he was truly dead. His Saint Emperor status was even devoured by the malevolent aura. Xu Xiaoshou couldn't imagine what kind of turmoil the entire Wu Rao Imperial Realm would face after losing its Saint Emperor status. Yue Gongli... If he died here, it could certainly be counted as a death. But it would have no impact whatsoever on the Cold Palace Imperial Realm. They could always promote someone else at any time, perhaps someone slightly weaker than Yue Gongli, or perhaps more cunning and stronger in combat? Or even more decisively, they might not pass on the Saint Emperor status to this generation at all. The current head of the Yue family, who could lead the entire Saint Emperor family and ensure the "Yue, Bei, Hua, Rao, Dao" ranking remained as it was—would his abilities be weak? Would someone who could restrain Hua Changdeng and Bei Huai be a family head of Wangze's caliber? Xu Xiaoshou wanted to let Yue Gongli go because he understood this person. He wanted a familiar face to return and inherit the Saint Emperor status. This way, even if Yue Gongli's good relationship with his sister was fake, and his affection for Ba Zun'an was feigned, there would still be some connection and a basic understanding of him. What's more, there was a slight possibility that Yue Gongli might remember their past connection... If he didn't let the person go, Xu Xiaoshou would be completely in the dark about the current head of the Cold Palace Imperial Realm, not even knowing their true name.

"Go!" Xu Xiaoshou nodded. Dao Qiongcang then waved a hand at Yue Gongli: "Should I be defeated in the future, I hope Brother Yue remembers today and shows me mercy." Cao Erzhu's expression grew even stranger upon hearing this. He could tell that if Yue Gongli remembered today, he should be even more ruthless, not merciful? He just couldn't understand it anyway. His father said, "Letting a tiger return to its mountain is akin to seeking one's own death." Brother Xiaoshou and Dao Qiongcang were smart people; they surely knew this. Yet, they still released the tiger... 'Indeed, is my cultivation still not enough?' After pondering for a while, Cao Erzhu shook his head. If he couldn't figure it out, he wouldn't dwell on it; he never forced himself. Yue Gongli, however, shivered, shaking his head repeatedly as he retreated towards the tree gate, saying, "Brother Dao, you're too kind. Your words are etched in my heart. Others might win, but you will never lose." "Not calling me Dao Nitian anymore?" "Uh..." Yue Gongli temporarily avoided the sharp edge, looking at Xu Xiaoshou: "Master Shou, take care. Please send my regards to my brother-in-law... Also, I really am a good person!" He plunged headfirst into the tree gate's halo and disappeared. The self-sacrifice in the God's Relic was essentially also summoning a phantom "Gate of Guidance" to lead people home. Relying on the Core of Heavenly Realm to summon the tree gate and actively entering it was also guidance, and also a return by the original path.

"I entered from the Four Symbols Secret Realm, so I'll appear there first, then use Great Divine Descent Art to return to the Southern Region. That's when I'll release you, right?" Dao Qiongcang, not immersed in farewells, tilted his head and asked. "Okay." Xu Xiaoshou was so calm that Dao Qiongcang became curious instead: "Aren't you afraid I'll tamper with your external avatar? Do you really dare to let me take you out?" "I believe you're not that kind of petty person." 'Then you've misunderstood me, I am exactly that kind of petty person...' Dao Qiongcang smiled and lowered his head. Xu knew him as he knew Xu, an unspoken understanding. Xu Xiaoshou also smiled, as if whether he said he was afraid or not would actually influence whether Dao Qiongcang tampered with his second true body.

"Take care." Dao Qiongcang leapt towards the tree gate. But just as he was about to step through, he paused, turned around, and a corner of his lips curled: "I'm not a petty person, and I won't tamper with your external avatar. Do you believe me?" Xu Xiaoshou waved goodbye to him from a distance, not responding directly, but instead called out: "My Dao, do you still remember what I said before?"

Cao Erzhu's gaze darted left and right, clutching his feverish forehead, feeling this was the most brain-racking moment. What were they saying?! They were parting ways; there must be some hidden meaning! 'It's coming, it's coming, just think a bit more... Ah, I can't figure it out at all... Brother Xiaoshou, what are you talking about? You've said so many things in the God's Relic, who would know which sentence you're referring to now?'

"I will," a voice suddenly echoed in his mind. Cao Erzhu was startled, goosebumps rising all over his body. A ghost! Oh, no, it's Uncle Yi... 'Huh, Uncle Yi is still here? I thought he'd fallen asleep...' "The answer of the responder isn't important," the voice continued. "But if he answers, the questioner will know which of his questions is most important in the responder's heart." What? 'Uncle Yi, you're actually a smart person?' While Cao Erzhu was still trying to unravel the logic of that sentence, Dao Qiongcang had already stepped into the tree gate, his silhouette and the light gradually fading. Below them, only the continuous echoes of the God's Relic and the hazy sky remained.

"Beyond this gate, you and I are still friends."