Chapter 1712: Dare to Ask About the Various Causes and Effects of This Realm in Exchange for a Free and Unfettered Body

"Xu Xiaoshou, my advice is that the time is not ripe yet."

The five domains eagerly awaited, all hoping to sacrifice a Lord Shou to gain more information.

Through a private spiritual communication channel, Dao Qiongcang's serious concern arrived promptly:

"Now, using Ah Si as a pawn and making everything public, let them remember that there's a seventy percent chance you'll provoke an unspeakable enemy. Even Ai Cangsheng's threats will be secondary to that."

"I should have told you not to measure the other Four Saint Emperors by your own assumptions. The Sacred God Continent is their backyard; here, they are stronger than even the recently revived Chong Yin."

"Hua Yuan could die at Chong Yin's hands and the Cloud Mountain Imperial Realm would do nothing because it was Chong Yin, but Ah Si absolutely cannot die by your hand."

"But these are just reminders."

"If you insist, I can provide you with a heavenly secret shield, temporarily curbing the perception of those on the Heavenly Ladder towards the lower planes. However, this is very limited."

"Perhaps you can ask indirectly, but there are still many things you need to be careful about. Of course, you can also disregard my warnings below; the decision is yours."

"Remember the 'Thirteen Unspeakables': Do not speak of Self-Imprisonment, Status, Guidance, Forgetting, Han Palace, Qian Shi, the Demon Ancestor, the Ghost Ancestor, the Medicine Ancestor, the Three Ancestor Stone Tablet, the True Stele of Origin, or the Divine Prison Azure Stone."

Xu Xiaoshou was baffled by this series of 'unspeakables'.

He was initially uncomfortable with Dao Qiongcang's inexplicable concern, suspecting that the fellow was fabricating things to scare him.

He soon realized that wasn't the case; on the path of opposing the five great Saint Emperor families, Dao Qiongcang and he should be on the same side.

Then that was a huge problem.

For no reason, he felt a slight fear towards Ah Si in his hand. Could this one person alone be connected to so much?

However, the amount of power and information one possesses doesn't necessarily seem proportional. Xu Xiaoshou was even more grateful that he hadn't impulsively tried to read Ah Si's soul just now.

The Thirteen Unspeakables!

The content of what Dao Qiongcang gave him was also very strange.

It almost completely restricted all possible questions, leaving little meaning to Ah Si's existence in his hands.

It further clarified that there were exactly 'thirteen' items, meaning no information had been omitted.

Thus, among so many 'unspeakable' items, Xu Xiaoshou understood the earlier ones, but when it came to the Five Great Saint Emperors, he became confused.

"Do not speak of Han Palace, do not speak of Qian Shi... there's no omitted content afterwards, just these two. Why?"

"These two are unspeakable, but Baiming, Yunshan, and Wurao can be spoken of? Why?"

"For Yue Beihua Rao Dao, one ranked first and one last, yet the first and last cannot be spoken of while the ones in the middle can?"

And even stranger, look below!

The Demon Ancestor, Ghost Ancestor, and Medicine Ancestor are also unspeakable, yet there's no omitted content limiting the other Seven Ancestors from being spoken of.

So it seems the other Seven Ancestors can be spoken of, but only these three cannot?

Why?

Are they still alive?

The last item, 'Divine Prison Azure Stone', also left Xu Xiaoshou bewildered. This isn't connected to the Five Great Saint Emperor families, is it? He's supposedly the Saint Emperor of the Void Island's inner island?

This can't be spoken of either?

Is the Divine Prison Azure Stone perhaps a hidden move of the Five Great Saint Emperor families?

It seems that Ba Zun'an was kept in the dark, and the Five Great Saint Emperor families are just waiting for the critical moment to stab him in the back?

But how could a clever person like Old Eight, having decided to use the Divine Prison Azure Stone, not thoroughly investigate its background and him?

If it can be used, it means the background is relatively clean.

So that means the Divine Prison Azure Stone itself isn't problematic, but it involves another unknown secret comparable to the mystery of this continent's prison?

"I'm numb!"

He gripped Ah Si in his hand.

Under the control of his Three Disgust Eyes, Ah Si was powerless to resist, yet Xu Xiaoshou felt as if he was holding a hot potato.

He meticulously recalled the 'Thirteen Unspeakables' again, vaguely feeling there was something else strange about it...

He re-read it, but found nothing strange.

Spiritual communication was reciprocal, a private channel of communication among heavenly secret practitioners. Xu Xiaoshou, of course, could also send a reply:

"Why 'unspeakable'?"

However, before he could even send this question, Dao Qiongcang seemed to have anticipated it, and, timing his pause, his voice came through again:

"Do not ask, do not ask, do not ask."

"Unspeakable, unspeakable, unspeakable."

Showy old Daoist, what are you up to!

Xu Xiaoshou wished he could rush over and beat this riddler to death. These emphasized words were more infuriating than 'Heavenly secrets must not be revealed!'

But it seemed there was a reasonable explanation?

It had already been said that it was unspeakable, which clearly meant it couldn't be asked, and if asked, it couldn't be answered.

But what if I insist on asking?

Xu Xiaoshou pondered this interesting question.

What would happen if he insisted on asking, and someone who knew the answer, like the showy old Daoist or Ah Si, actually answered?

Would someone die?

Would it be him, or the one who spoke the answer?

"Ask!"

"Lord Shou, keep asking!"

The spectators from the five domains were like ants on a hot pan, feeling agitated and anxious due to the cessation of the mirrored conversation.

The Saints of Sacred Mountain also watched with trepidation.

Feng Zhongzui also watched with bated breath.

Everyone was watching.

"Hold on..."

Instead, Xu Xiaoshou calmed himself, trying to escape his state of confusion and better interpret the current situation.

For no reason, his mind flashed back to the power struggle at the Heavenly Sang Spirit Palace and his alchemy life with his junior sister in the Spirit Treasure Pavilion...

"Stop!"

Xu Xiaoshou abruptly cut off his chaotic thoughts, breaking out in a cold sweat.

At this moment, why was he reminiscing about the good times at the Heavenly Sang Spirit Palace? What was he thinking?

"That's right, Dao Qiongcang could still be deceiving me. I need to ask someone I trust..."

He called out a few times in his mind, but there was no response.

Xu Xiaoshou then unleashed his perception widely, simultaneously using spatial profoundness to powerfully compress the surrounding space, thereby expanding his sensory range.

Ten thousand miles, a hundred thousand miles, three hundred thousand miles...

Everything blurry or unimportant was ignored.

His perception stretched far out, searching for sword thoughts with sword thoughts. Xu Xiaoshou tried to find his somewhat unreliable greatest backer.

Before long, in a realm in the extreme south of the Central Domain, in a bustling port town, he spotted a familiar, unkempt figure.

Ba Zun'an!

Ba Zun'an came to the Central Domain too?

Xu Xiaoshou's first reaction was relief, his second was that the matter was indeed very serious, and his third was, "Why are you unkempt again!"

At this moment, the fellow was incredibly frail, looking as if he would collapse with a gust of wind. He needed the storyteller to constantly follow behind, occasionally offering a hand just to... walk.

Not being able to fly is one thing.

You've regressed to the point where even walking is difficult?

Are you really cultivating ancient swordsmanship and not some evil Chong Yin art?

Xu Xiaoshou vaguely felt that seeking out Ba Zun'an at this moment was also a mistake, but since he had found him, he couldn't just ignore him.

While at Sacred Mountain, Xu Xiaoshou posed a question to Ba Zun'an in the extreme south of the Central Domain:

"Is it okay?"

At the ferry, having just emerged from a teleportation array, Ba Zun'an walked for a bit, then suddenly patted the storyteller's hand.

The storyteller instinctively let go, turning his head in confusion, just about to speak, when he heard his elder brother slightly raise his gaze and say nonchalantly:

"I am."

What on earth... The storyteller was dumbfounded by 'I am'.

You are?

Who are you talking to again!

Are you having hallucinations again?

So this Sealed Sword to Old Age is an evil art after all, isn't it? You're not going to suddenly age and pass away while sealing, are you?

"Good boy, Xiao Ba, don't get delusional. We're going this way, you've taken the wrong path again..."

I am.

No matter what decision you make, right or wrong, I will be there.

These two words should have instilled a profound sense of security, yet looking at Ba Zun'an, who seemed to have gone blind...

Xu Xiaoshou felt no security at all!

Ai Cangsheng stopped shooting arrows, Dao Qiongcang was advising him with a feigned retreat, and Ba Zun'an seemed to understand the situation but still decided to make this move...

All three of them were facilitators!

And he, himself, was the pawn!

It seemed that even Ah Si inexplicably ending up in his hands was a form of guidance meant to lead them both to their deaths...

Reversing the process from the outcome, who would be the beneficiary in this matter?

There was no answer.

"Lord Shou, ask!"

The silent urges from all corners of the five domains seemed to coalesce into an invisible guide, conveyed by the fearful yet hopeful gazes of the Sacred Mountain refugee group, and by Xu Xiaoshou himself interrogating Ah Si with his Three Disgust Eyes, thereby placing himself in a precarious position.

Xu Xiaoshou hesitated even more.

He began to question himself.

"Am I, too, afraid?"

"If this is the situation now, what are your thoughts?"

In the Divine Relic, Xu Xiaoshou's consciousness switched to Jin Ren, and he sought out Elder Sang.

He realized that at this moment, he seemed to have only one person... a family member? Elder Sang.

Could he rely on him? Old Sang.

"Don't!"

Elder Sang, who had been lazily sitting on a stone, shot up after understanding the situation, his face somewhat pale:

"Xu Xiaoshou, absolutely do not ask!"

"Absolutely do not believe Ba Zun'an's nonsense. If he could help you, he wouldn't have lost then. He's just a good-for-nothing, a useless dog, a piece of trash!"

"Now, immediately, release Ah Si... Feng Yujin!"

Without a word, Elder Sang barked at his side. A mere Profound Half-Saint, he actually directly commanded the Heaven Sealing Saint Emperor:

"You immediately go out, seal Ah Si in the God Sealing Coffin, and bring him to me. Be careful not to let him pass through anyone's hands, not even Xu Xiaoshou's."

"Han Palace Saint Emperor absolutely, absolutely has a hidden move on Ah Si. That's his shadow. The only way now is for the Sealed Body to block this connection..."

Seeing Feng Yujin unmoved, Elder Sang turned back, as if explaining, and also as if pleading:

"Don't mess around, Xu Xiaoshou."

"Proceed according to the plan. You enter the Dead Sea first. Leave Ah Si to me; he won't be able to stir up any trouble."

"By then, you won't even need your Three Disgust Eyes, or Ah Si. The Holy Slaves will have their own way to make everything public."

Elder Sang firmly grasped Xu Xiaoshou's shoulders and earnestly admonished him:

"Xu Xiaoshou, you must understand that in the Holy Slaves' plan, you are not the only one, nor are you the protagonist."

"You are not that important. Don't seek unnecessary attention."

"The tallest tree is the first to fall!"

Jin Ren's heart felt warm. Xu Xiaoshou also smiled and nodded, removing Elder Sang's hand. "I understand."

"Good that you understand, good that you..." Elder Sang frowned. "Wait, what did you understand? Repeat it! Oh, right, aren't you a master of spatial profoundness? Open the live view of the scene, I want to see!"

Xu Xiaoshou said no more, casually opened a spatial view, and began live-broadcasting the Sacred Mountain battle from the Divine Relic.

Cao Erzu curiously looked over.

How interesting! Brother Shou is clearly here.

In the image, Brother Shou was still standing mid-air, holding another person's head.

Is that Ah Si? Poor Ah Si.

The spatial view was merely an offhand gesture. After doing all this, Xu Xiaoshou turned to Feng Yujin:

"Prepare yourself and wait for me in the Four Symbols Secret Realm."

Someone stopped shooting arrows, someone was advising him against it.

Some were heedless of consequences, others were determined to hold him back.

At this instant, Xu Xiaoshou realized for the first time that he had reached a height where no one could manipulate him.

Their various suggestions and opinions truly became, and could only be, suggestions and opinions, no longer commands.

He no longer had only 'execute' as an option.

Everything was merely for reference.

So, what was his own choice?

Xu Xiaoshou naturally discerned the various intentions held by all parties, both overt and covert.

It was the first time he had thus probed his own heart.

From a headless fly blundering around in the White Cave, to a purposeful troublemaker in the Eastern Heavenly King City, then to the four Divine Pillars merging on Void Island, and finally becoming Ba Zun'an's Sword-Self vessel in the Divine Relic...

It was as if an invisible hand had been pushing him forward.

And each time, when Xu Xiaoshou felt he had taken the initiative, he would look back later and realize he had still been passive.

This time, the situation was different... perhaps different!

"I can make a choice, an active choice!"

But were there multiple options to choose from? Xu Xiaoshou smiled; he knew there weren't, in fact.

Elder Sang was indeed very clever, hiding his true meaning within his words.

Xu Xiaoshou, however, understood that if he didn't do this, someone among the Holy Slaves would eventually have to, most likely Elder Sang, who was about to enter the fray himself.

Stepping back, if he truly retreated at this point, how would it be different from Ba Zun'an's failed outcome back then?

There was also a fundamental difference!

Ba Zun'an's failure had a reason; it could be forgiven.

But he, himself, would have retreated out of genuine cowardice.

"I could seal Ah Si and speak later."

"But regardless of whether it's wise or not, this time my choice isn't between advancing or retreating; it's about moving the timeline forward... and of course, it must be moved forward!"

If Ai Cangsheng, Dao Qiongcang, Ba Zun'an, the Blood World Pearl, even Yue Gongli, or any other unspeakable beings hoped for such a pawn to emerge and shake up the situation.

I will step forward.

If I'm still a pawn, I shouldn't be a mere soldier; I can only move forward step by step, with no turning back.

I will be a chariot piece, crushing all obstacles on my path forward.

If I can't exceed their expectations and become the variable, I will ultimately rush into the trap, suffer heavy losses, and bring about my own destruction.

Then even if I speak later, the outcome will still be the same as it is now, won't it?

As for you, Elder Sang...

Old Sang, enjoy your twilight years.

You're not the protagonist, alright? There's no need to add unnecessary drama for yourself.

"Speak!"

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Lord Shou, beside Sacred Mountain, after hesitating for a full brief moment, finally uttered two stirring words.

He still gripped Ah Si's head, his Three Disgust Eyes firmly controlling the other. With the Tear Family Pupils empowered by Ancestral Origin force, Ah Si couldn't even die, let alone resist.

"First, tell me, from the perspective of your Saint Emperor families, how do you view the matter of Half-Saints self-imprisoning, and even the definition of 'self-imprisonment' itself?"

"Ugh! Self... self-imprisonment..."

Upon hearing this, Ah Si's expression suddenly twisted as if enduring extreme pain. His body involuntarily curled up and even began to convulse.

What a question!

And truly daring to ask!

Feng Zhongzui's scalp tingled; Lord Shou dared to ask, but he truly dared not broadcast.

The Saints of the Sacred Mountain refugee group no longer cared about their stance at this moment.

They were Half-Saints, they were in self-imprisonment, they were the clear-minded parties suffering gravely yet still serving their perpetrators!

Even Fang Wenxin was now staring intently at Ah Si, craving an answer never given by those on the Heavenly Ladder.

Vast as the five domains were, abundant in spiritual energy and teeming with talent, no one had dared to ask this before.

Yes, it was warped.

But everyone had grown accustomed to the warped state, treating it as normal.

Precisely because they were accustomed to the warped state, when such a normal question was finally posed, the world felt even greater shock.

He had stepped forward.

Even if he died, he would die standing.

"It's coming."

In the Southern Domain, Ai Cangsheng sat atop his osmanthus wood wheelchair, no longer able to smell the sweet scent of osmanthus.

He set down his Evil Sin Bow, placing it on the black cloth covering his lap.

He tilted his head back, gazing at the sky, but before long, he slowly closed his Dao Eyes, his expression solemn.

"I hear the lament of the Great Dao."

"But what I see is the Great Dao functioning normally. Perhaps I can see, yet I've never truly seen clearly from beginning to end."

Zhong Yuanzi selectively ignored the latter half of the sentence, nodding profoundly in agreement with the first part, as if he too had heard it.

"Indeed, with the World Tree gone and its protective luck absent, the five domains are about to fall into chaos."

Feng Family City, First Observation Platform.

Dao Qiongcang slapped his own upper face, his fingers clutching his head, palm covering his tightly closed eyes, squeezing his scalp painfully.

"I told you, unspeakable, unspeakable..."

He seemed to be in great pain, as if he was about to lose a confidant because of this.

But even with his fingers pressing harder, trying to use pain to curb the tumultuous emotions within him.

It couldn't be curbed.

Dao Qiongcang's face twitched, his mouth twitched...

Finally, he could no longer suppress himself, and a grin spread across his face; he was actually laughing!

"Hoh..."

"Heh heh heh..."

"Hoh hahaha!"

He laughed, unable to contain his excited, wild laughter, his grin stretching almost to his earlobes, a completely ferocious expression.

"Good!"

He suddenly let out a heavy roar, clutching his forehead, completely unhinged, startling everyone around him.

"Xu Xiaoshou, you truly dare!"

"Since it's like this, I'll risk my life to accompany a gentleman and help you!"

After Dao Qiongcang finished speaking, his body burst into a ball of spiritual light and vanished.

If this were in the Eastern Domain, or any of the other domains, such an anomly might have frightened people, and some might have reported to the Sacred God Hall that strange things were happening again.

But this was the Southern Domain's Land of Sin.

Most of those watching in Feng Family City were not ancient sword cultivators, but rather Spirit Refiners who were disciples of death or evildoers, having taken over the place.

Among these people, many were stirred by passion, and soon some adopted the same mental state as this fellow who strongly resembled the Dao Hall Master.

"Good, since you're willing to risk your life for Lord Shou, I'll lend a hand too!"

With a 'bang,' someone's body burst into a bloody mist, having activated a blood escape technique, and ran to another observation platform to watch.

"Good, since Old Zhao is also accompanying, I will too!"

"Good, since Brother Chu is also accompanying, I'll also make a move!"

"Alright, since you're all accompanying, I won't. Mainly because it hurts a bit... You guys are truly amazing."

Central Domain.

Ba Zun'an stopped again.

The storyteller's rambling ceased as soon as he sat down, for Ba Zun'an could no longer hear him.

Only the sounds of wind, clouds, and the gentle Great Dao principles drawing near and embracing him filled his ears.

"Heaven has changed."

The storyteller was bewildered by the sound. "Again?"

"Just now it was 'I am,' and now it's 'Heaven has changed.' Brother, have you reached this stage already?"

"If you ever really can't hold on and need to leave, just say so in advance. I'll risk my life and pull some strings to seek an audience with Yue Gongli."

"In short, I'll make sure you and Sister Nu meet, so you can die in peace?"

Looking down, his elder brother was sitting cross-legged on the ground, completely engrossed in cultivation anywhere, anytime, utterly disregarding the surroundings.

Passersby were casting strange glances!

This isn't the Southern Domain, you know. Could you be more mindful of your image?

Yet for all his cultivation, his elder brother truly seemed to achieve nothing.

After quickly ending his cultivation, he looked up at the sky again, as if he, a blind man, could see something.

"He's crazy..."

Ba Zun'an didn't hear the muttering; he only heard himself.

Sealed Sword to Old Age, sealing him to this point. His state was incredibly clear, and his self-awareness was exceptionally lucid.

His mortal flesh sits in the mundane world; his divine sword-self leaps onto the spirit platform.

The six paths here question cause and effect, in exchange for a carefree existence.

He, who should have discerned all the laws of change of the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, even transcending this Sacred God Continent, observing this realm from the outside in, from above downwards.

At this moment, he clearly perceived...

The sky was obscured.

He could no longer see clearly.

The world's Dao principles stirred, weaving into a net that shielded everything from 'gaze' and 'prying'.

It was more like the world had become a large sphere, from which a phantom hand reached out, separating 'those above the Heavenly Ladder' from 'those below the Heavenly Ladder.'

"Dao Qiongcang, is that your sky-covering hand?"

"Slap!"

Divine Relic, First Heaven.

Elder Sang, with a hand poised to scold, glared furiously at the rebellious disciple before him and cursed loudly:

"What did you understand? You understood nothing!"

"I told you not to ask, yet you still asked. What on earth are you thinking?"

Jin Ren was stunned by the slap.

He clutched his swollen left cheek, marred by finger marks, his face filled with disbelief. He simply couldn't believe Elder Sang would suddenly use his Sleeveless Scorching Hand to slap him for no reason.

And also...

Why are you slapping me?

That wasn't my decision; it was Xu Xiaoshou's, the main body's.

I am Jin Ren!

My name is Jin Ren. Please, both of you, master and disciple, try to treat me like a person and don't mess around, okay!