It's about to begin, that mouth...
Fengjia City, Southern Region, First Viewing Platform.
Dao Qiongcang, with his sleeves hanging low, landed among the mixed crowd, yet no one paid him any attention.
Beside him, a chaotic buzz of discussion filled the air.
Some discussed Grandmaster Shou's philosophy, analyzing his current personal views.
Others went further back, interpreting the extent of Grandmaster Shou's relationship with Palace Master Dao.
Now, only a very small fraction of people here still supported Palace Master Dao, believing that all talk of “puppet strings” and “Heavenly Secret Arts” was Grandmaster Shou's slander, and they urged Palace Master Dao to come forward and clarify.
Normally, Dao Qiongcang would have gone up to chat, putting an arm around someone's shoulder, and sharing his own views.
At that moment, he merely smiled wryly, not engaging in conversation.
There was no way to clarify it!
What Xu Xiaoshou had said in front of the Five Domains was like spilled water; it could never be taken back.
Even if he wanted to, with so many voices echoing, he couldn't change public opinion.
Even if he tried to clarify, it would be like mud falling into a pocket – the more he argued, the dirtier it would get, making clarification utterly impossible.
What's more, someone as intelligent as Dao Qiongcang could clearly see that Xu Xiaoshou dragging him into this was merely incidental.
He embedded veiled criticisms within his narrative, and this personal emotion, far from being off-putting, actually grounded an otherwise ethereal concept, making it more credible.
And looking beyond the surface, what he truly intended at this moment was to "enlighten" the world through the Five Domains Preaching Mirror.
“The Five Great Saint Emperor Families, the Yue, Bei, Hua, Rao, and Dao families – I have indeed heard of them, but usually I can't recall them. Why?”
“Rao Yaoyao, Beibei – yes, it's precisely because their surnames are Rao and Bei that they've had so many opportunities. Look at Sword Immortal Wuyue; he made just one mistake and lost an arm.”
“Freedom, meaning, cultivation… Yes, I pursued all these before, but somehow I later forgot them. I’m like a…”
Puppet!
Dao Qiongcang gazed out, as if he could see a string named 'guidance' or 'forgetfulness' hanging above the head of every spirit refiner present.
His surname was Dao, and he understood better than anyone that all these people were puppets, or rather, Saint Slaves.
But at this moment, these walking corpses in front of the Preaching Mirror had suddenly awakened. Was it because of Xu Xiaoshou's words?
Not just that!
It was also because of…
“The Great Path of Intent!”
Dao Qiongcang slowly extended his hand, touching the void as if savoring something.
He could vaguely sense the surrounding space fluctuating violently, invisibly transmitting 'imprints' one by one.
What were these imprints?
They were, of course, the prerequisite for the 'Spirit Descension Technique,' the marks that Dao Qiongcang had previously left behind.
Now, Xu Xiaoshou was not only preaching to the Five Domains but also profusely 'marking' them.
The difference, however, was that he had no intention of individually possessing all the spirit refiners in the Five Domains.
Each of these imprints, belonging to the Great Path of Intent, affected everyone who came close, and also guided those nearby who hadn't approached to gradually draw nearer.
His purpose was to sever the strings hanging above the heads of these walking corpses, manipulated by the Five Great Saint Emperor Families!
“Using the Transcendent Dao-infused Great Path of Intent to counter the Five Domains Saint Emperors' powers of guidance and forgetfulness…”
“Xu Xiaoshou, you are far too bold…”
Dao Qiongcang could no longer describe the complex feelings in his heart.
Thirty years younger, he might have agreed with Xu Xiaoshou's approach, but now he only felt this guy was too young and acted without considering the consequences!
During the latter half of the Divine Ruins, Dao Qiongcang had already noticed a qualitative change in Xu Xiaoshou's comprehension of the Great Path of Intent.
After leaving the Divine Ruins, he further realized that Xu Xiaoshou had absorbed his understanding of the Great Path of Memory and integrated it into his own Great Path of Intent.
But Dao Qiongcang had never imagined that in just one day, this kid, having just stepped out of one predicament, would immediately set about making drastic, chaotic changes to the Holy Divine Continent.
He not only wanted to speak.
He also wanted everyone who heard him to remember what he had said.
“Is this what it means to be a newborn calf?”
The influence left by the Five Great Saint Emperor Families – how dense in quantity, how high in quality?
What Xu Xiaoshou alone could achieve was, at best, only to influence a portion of the people in front of the Preaching Mirror.
In the grand scheme of things, this was like a drop in the ocean, unable to change the overall situation.
Yet the consumption was terrifying – covering the Five Domains with Spatial Mysteries, imprinting the continent with the Great Path of Intent. Even Dao Qiongcang, if he were to do it, would be drained dry.
Yet Xu Xiaoshou stood before the Preaching Mirror, not even consuming a single holy medicine, continuing his actions.
Even Bazun An had to endure thirty years, and even he himself had to feign death to escape a predicament. Was this guy so foolish as to try to move mountains alone or fill the sea with a single voice?
Can a single spark truly ignite a prairie fire?
Dao Qiongcang's gaze flickered as he looked up at the sky.
The sky of the Holy Divine Continent was not perpetually overcast like that of the Divine Ruins; it was exceptionally clear, yet far more difficult to comprehend.
At one moment, Dao Qiongcang was lost in thought.
He didn't know if he was simply old, having lost the youthful passion he once possessed.
Or if, as he grew, he truly came to believe that only a flawless plan could break the most meticulous arrangements.
He looked at the void, and in a daze, he recalled Void Island, remembering old times.
He, too, was once a reckless man. To develop living Heavenly Secret Puppets despite numerous obstacles, even if it meant hitting a brick wall – what else could he be but reckless?
What critical juncture, then, caused the reckless man to transform into a wise one?
Dao Qiongcang pondered for a moment and soon found the answer.
The birth of Number One!
Until Number One, guided by those five old bastards, met its downfall on Void Island!
To put it nicely, he was now unfathomable; to put it bluntly, it was excessive caution.
Why?
Because of powerlessness.
Dao Qiongcang turned his head to look at the First Viewing Platform, at Xu Xiaoshou's enlarged, still eloquently speaking, youthful, and vibrant face.
Regardless of anything else, this time, he hoped Xu Xiaoshou would win!
“Brother, look!”
Still in the Southern Region, but at a Spirit Array Ferry leading to the Central Region, the storyteller stood on tiptoes, pointing into the distance.
A Preaching Mirror stood in the distance.
The image in the mirror magnified, revealing a familiar, handsome face smiling captivatingly. He was babbling about something, his mouth sometimes round, sometimes flat, but the content was unclear.
“How cute.”
The storyteller's eyes crinkled with a smile. She clasped her wrist, held her hand to her shoulder, tucked it against her chest, bit her slender, jade-like finger, and looked sideways, filled with profound satisfaction.
Xu Xiaoshou had grown up.
He had become a 'storyteller' by intuition.
Below the Preaching Mirror, at an unknown viewing platform, the audience members either whispered, or remained silent, or grew agitated, or felt helpless…
Emotions fluctuated with the storytelling.
Willpower changed with the discourse.
Ning Honghong tilted her head, her smile deepening, as if seeing her past self.
“Are they calling me?”
Bazun An weakly responded, as if he too had heard his name.
He wasn't entirely sure, as the distance was simply too great, dozens of zhang!
He could hear Xu Xiaoshou's voice and barely make out his face, which was already quite remarkable for someone in middle age with keen senses.
This was irrelevant.
He knew exactly what Xu Xiaoshou was going to do.
“Is it about to begin…”
Turning his head away, Bazun An whispered softly, no longer paying attention to the Preaching Mirror, and walked straight towards the Spirit Array to queue.
Someone noticed the movement over there, nudged a companion, and chuckled:
“Look, he looks just like your family's Bazun An!”
“Nonsense! When the Eighth Sword Immortal crossed Southern Nether, ten thousand swords flew in unison! Why would he need a teleportation array? He'd just zip right over!”
“But he really does resemble the Bazun An in the portrait in your room, just a bit older, with whiter hair… and, well, like a lust-crazed ghost, completely drained.”
“Stop talking, he's coming over. You're being very rude!”
Bazun An glanced at the long queue, waved to the storyteller, and silently walked to the very end to wait in line.
The closer one approached their twilight years, the blurrier the sounds and images became.
Everything unimportant simply drifted away with the wind, unable to reach his eyes or ears.
Conversely, his perception of nature, of Dao principles, and of sensory input became incredibly attuned.
Heaven and man, indistinguishable, naturally had no concept of 'oneness'.
Though Bazun An's eyes were clouded, he could see ripples in space and surges of intent. Though he remained silent, he could perceive all vegetation singing and the sea breeze dancing.
The deaf excelled in music, the blind in painting the infinite.
It was the six senses that confined the human body and set rules. When these were completely abandoned, transcending all boundaries…
The world became boundless and imaginative!
The Hidden Sword was now old; Bazun An could no longer sense any spiritual energy in his body, and even his vitality seemed to have withered.
The only thing he could perceive was the sword qi filling his entire being.
“This physical shell constrained his sword qi…”
Bazun An had cultivated the Indestructible Sword Body through this, believing it was the fundamental way to defy fate, limited by his innate talent.
He realized this was still a limitation.
Heaven and earth, rivers and mountains, my physical form, and the sword.
Now, Bazun An began to think from the sword's perspective, whether the sword qi originated from him or from 'me':
“I surge, I burn. When I draw my sword into the rivers and mountains, all that remains is the tearing apart of this indestructible shell that bound me.”
Sealing the sword until old age, my old self becomes a saint.
Sealing myself until old age…
Sword Burial Mound.
Wen Ting, on a whim, patrolled the mountain, looking for something precious, and saw Xu Xiaoshou in the Preaching Mirror, surrounded by worshippers.
He paused, listened for a while, and gazed towards East Mountain.
East Mountain was like a sword, its peaks sharp as blades.
Wen Ting's eyes showed nostalgia. He stretched out his hand, pointing at the palm-sized Sword Burial Mound in the distance, and sighed with emotion:
“He speaks truly well.”
Canyue Immortal City.
Xiao Kongtong, holding the Kongtong Formless Sword and carrying a large sack, hurried past the Preaching Mirror, covered in blood.
He saw Xu Xiaoshou's hearty smile on the screen and couldn't help but grin, showing his teeth.
“Boom!”
Thunder rumbled in the void.
Nearly triggering a Saint Tribulation.
Xiao Kongtong tensed up, quickly controlled himself, and rushed back to the battlefield.
Undergoing the tribulation was out of the question; he hadn't yet claimed the title of the Seven Sword Immortals, nor had he fulfilled his master's unfinished dream. How could he prematurely become a Sword Saint?
The sword governs slaughter; one proves the Dao through killing.
For several months, Xiao Kongtong had been continuously practicing the philosophy he had idly dreamt of for thirty years.
He finally understood why his master had left behind so many epoch-making battles and so many unrestrained sword songs back then.
Keep killing, and there will always be a moment when inspiration strikes.
“Xu Xiaoshou, are you also beginning to prove your Dao?”
Qingyuan Mountain, Changde Town.
Kui Leihan leaned against a pillar, arms crossed, watching the mirror carried by two town residents, and observing Xu Xiaoshou speaking eloquently from it.
He extended his large hand, touching the Dao principles.
Purple lightning rippled faintly.
The iron collar of the Martial Ban lifted slightly.
Kui Leihan lowered his hand, shaking his head slightly. He had searched for a long time but couldn't find anyone.
“Where's Er'zhu?”
Tiansang Spirit Palace, Thatch Hut.
Ye Xiaotian floated alone beside a wooden table, expressionlessly watching the Preaching Mirror in the Eight Palaces.
Before him, there were still four sets of bowls and chopsticks, but no roasted goose on the table.
Old Man Sang had played himself out, Qiao Qianzhi's bizarre sanctification seemed impossible to achieve, and Xiao Qixiu had finally returned to pursue his dream after all these years…
In the end, being alone was eternal.
“Mama…”
A call echoed from his chest.
Ye Xiaotian sniffed, quickly wiped away his tears, but still felt a pang in his nose.
He was moved by Xu Xiaoshou's words, but could no longer find his original intention for cultivation:
“What about the 'four sons, four sons, together for a lifetime' we promised?”
The Kun from the Southern Nether leaped, transformed into a Peng, and soared nine heavens high.
Near the coast, a majestic black and red star-patterned Heavenly Secret Puppet halted. Its abdominal cavity opened, and a girl jumped out.
She wore white clothes, her eyes covered by a black blindfold, and she walked barefoot, bending down, treading the icy seawater, picking up seashells on the beach.
From inside the cabin behind her, Xu Xiaoshou's muffled voice emerged:
“Meaning…”
“No meaning…”
Yu Zhiwen looked up, a slight curve on her lips. She knew what Xu Xiaoshou meant: it wasn't that there was no meaning.
The singing of the waves cheered, eloquently expressing the sea's meaning of free rebirth.
On the shallows, the seashells remained silent. Was silence meaningless?
“No!”
Xu Xiaoshou's resolute voice came from inside the cabin.
Yu Zhiwen touched the seawater, lifted her head slightly, letting the dark sea breeze rustle her hair, bringing a damp sensation.
She caressed a seashell, then tossed it forward.
The uncontrolled waves pushed the seashell along. After landing once more, perhaps the silent seashell would find its meaning.
Far away at the foot of Gui'zhe Saint Mountain.
Heavenly Human Five Decays suddenly looked up. Beneath his orange mask, his three-eyed pupils spun rapidly, then abruptly froze.
His ears were assaulted by heavy wind, shouts, and startled exclamations.
He passed through the crowd, heading towards the Saint Mountain. Pain churned in his brain; he clutched his head, stopping amidst the confusion, feeling as if he had forgotten something again.
He remembered he had another teammate…
Right, Xu Xiaoshou!
No, it was Lei Xi'er!
Heavenly Human Five Decays frowned, searching through fragmented memories, and regained his sense of self.
He no longer dared to have teammates.
He had long since persuaded Lei Xi'er to leave.
He planned to ascend the Saint Mountain alone.
“What should I do?”
Life, it seemed, was meaningless.
He walked aimlessly towards the Saint Mountain, knowing only that he had to make an appearance.
He suddenly stopped, turned his head again, and looked at the distant figure in the mirror, thinking of that pathetic person who had gone with them but was now nowhere to be heard from.
“They've all returned.”
“Huang Quan, why haven't you come home yet?”
Xu Xiaoshou looked at the Preaching Mirror, as if looking at the people of the Five Domains; he knew that everyone was now watching him.
He continued speaking, telling his story:
“I know a Ghost Beast friend, an elder in red.”
“The Ghost Beast is a good Ghost Beast. It has only one dream in its life: to find a cozy nest and settle down.”
“The Red-Clad is also a good Red-Clad. They have only one dream in their life: to kill all Ghost Beasts.”
He paused, then said with a smile:
“But one day, while I was in the Red-Clads' ranks, I met a little Red-Clad? No, a little Ghost Beast…”
“I sought secrets, traced meaning, and later discovered that the so-called Red-Clads slaughtering Ghost Beasts was merely to seize their power.”
“That Red-Clad elder of mine, upon severing his Dao, possessed the power of the Grand Void—the Grand Righteous Qi. Whether he is still Grand Void now, I do not know.”
“Thinking back now, I believe he was a pathetic creature, an experimental subject.”
Xu Xiaoshou pointed in the direction of the Four Symbols Secret Realm:
“In that place, I tore apart a Qilin with my bare hands. It was a Saint Beast, and also a Ghost Beast.”
“Bei Huai targeted me, but not actually me. He wanted the Greed God – the Ghost Beast within me. He wanted the Devouring Power.”
“I don't know how many experiments they've conducted over the years, how much Ghost Beast power they've stripped away, disguised as Grand Void power, and placed into whom.”
“I only know that there aren't many left who still remember their original intentions, like the first generation Red-Clad Fang Wenxin, and the Red-Clad elder Shou Ye, who wanted to guide me into their ranks.”
The Five Domains listened in silence to the story of the Ghost Beasts, then saw Grandmaster Shou spread his hands, returning to the previous topic:
“So, is the Saint Slaves' pursuit of freedom meaningless?”
“No!”
“It has meaning!”
Xu Xiaoshou had said that he was already a very pure Saint Slave, because he too had found his own answer:
“Those trapped in cages are not just the Ten Honored Ones.”
“The Red-Clads' experimental subjects, the White-Clads' outsiders, the Half-Saints beyond the Holy Divine Palace, and all of you who are on your way, waiting to become one of these three types of people…”
“Everyone is a Saint Slave!”
All the Saints on Gui'zhe Saint Mountain collectively gazed at Ai Cangsheng. Even the expressions of the Nine Sacrificial Divine Envoys showed anxiety.
But everyone tried to use their eyes to signal Emperor Cangsheng to intervene and stop Xu Xiaoshou, yet Ai Cangsheng remained indifferent.
He was still listening, and Xu Xiaoshou was still speaking:
“Empty talk is meaningless.”
“Pursuing ethereal concepts, saying so much is also meaningless.”
“Courtesy is given to those who smile, reason is spoken to those who respect. Respect is mutual. When civility fails, one must return to barbarism…”
“One word: fight!”
Xu Xiaoshou looked into the mirror, as if crossing a domain, gazing towards the Saint Mountain.
Ai Cangsheng on the Saint Mountain didn't need to look at the mirror in the Wind Drunk's hand; under the gaze of the Eye of the Great Path, everything was close at hand.
The spectators from the Five Domains, as the word 'fight' landed, already understood something. Their emotions stirred, and their eyes shone with anticipation.
But Grandmaster Shou merely smiled and waved his hand, saying:
“Ai Cangsheng, don't bother with nonsense about obstructing Dao principles or banishing to the Land of Sin. The Nine Sacrificial Gui cannot do it, nor do you have the ability.”
“I also won't play any tricks or schemes with you. Dao Qiongcang said it well: let's skip the process and go straight to the result.”
He pointed at the mirror, then towards Ai Cangsheng:
“You, come to the Southern Region and stay here.”
He pointed at himself, then swept his hand towards the horizon, indicating the Saint Mountain in the distance:
“I will go to the Dead Sea to pick up my master.”
Immediately, he withdrew his finger, drew out Cang Ku, casually flicked his sword in a flourish, and thrust it towards the Preaching Mirror, startling the people of the Five Domains:
“Once all this is done, I will accept the challenge.”
“However many come, I will kill them all; if Saint Emperors come, I will slay Saint Emperors.”
He slashed at the void twice with his sword, as if butchering dogs:
“Including you, that loyal dog.”
“Understood, Ming Gong.”
[31 seconds ago] Chapter 1998: Noble Guest Visits the Blacksmith Shop, Array Patterns and Spell Techniques Display Mystical Wonders
[4 minutes ago] Chapter 371: Time-Space Net
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