Chapter 1720: Dao Gong Assists Me in Summoning the Holy Ancestor, One Person Becomes Two to Battle the Holy Emperor

Master Shou's trump card was none other than Palace Lord Dao? Hadn't they just recently engaged in a fierce battle at the Xuanyue Grey Palace in the Southern Region? And now, they were friends again?

Still, what kind of friend would risk everything for another in front of the Holy Emperor of the Cold Palace? How could Palace Lord Dao possibly go along with this? This was clearly a setup!

"Master Shou, this..." Feng Zhongzui clutched the Transmission Mirror, too dumbfounded to even comment. It seemed utterly absurd. Not only would Palace Lord Dao never fall for such an obvious trap, but even if he did, he couldn't possibly win. And stepping back further, would the Holy Emperor of the Cold Palace be so easily deceived? Would his choice really be a simple binary between Master Shou and Palace Lord Dao?

Feng Zhongzui believed that if he were at the Holy Emperor of the Cold Palace's level, no one could sway his decisions. He would have them all! Unfortunately, Feng Zhongzui was not the Holy Emperor of the Cold Palace. From his current position, he couldn't even see Master Shou's back, let alone fathom Xu Xiaoshou's true intentions.

As holy light descended from the heavens, slowly coalescing into a hazy, ethereal face high above Mount Guihe, Xu Xiaoshou showed not a shred of extra curiosity. He didn't even wait for the Holy Emperor of the Cold Palace to fully manifest his avatar, his thought-incarnation, or any other miscellaneous clone-descent spirit abilities. Nor did he have any intention of testing their strengths; after all, he was still a mere novice who couldn't even defeat "Love for All Beings."

He quickly tossed Ah Si towards the Apricot Realm, then used Spirit Resonance to transmit a "take care" to the flamboyant old Daoist. Facing the light and the Five Regions, he spread his arms wide:

"Ah—"

"World, forget me..."

"Huh?"

Down in the Southern Nether, Dao Qiongcang's emotions surged. He had been mentally scolding someone, convinced that the situation should have played out differently just moments before. But in an instant, the target of his ire vanished. He felt like a fish drifting in the shallow waters of the Southern Nether, having forgotten why he was angry just moments ago.

"Beep... beep... beep..."

An alarm blared in his mind, tracing back to a conclusion, but it presented a perplexing name: "Xu Xiaoshou."

Xu Xiaoshou, who was that?

As this thought barely crossed his mind, Dao Qiongcang's hand instinctively flipped, revealing a jade slip. Simultaneously, his secondary brain projected a message: "['Xu.Xiao.Shou Information Brief']. No matter how critical the situation, please read immediately!"

What in the world was this? Even the name was spaced out to prevent direct identification and potential anomalies? Such meticulousness... Dao Qiongcang keenly realized he must have been subjected to an extremely powerful Forgetfulness Guidance. But who could possibly surpass his understanding of the Way of Memory—which was already at the super-Dao Transformation level—in the Ways of Forgetfulness and Guidance, thereby influencing him? And who would be so forgetful of even the Way of Memory that they'd need to prepare so many contingencies in advance, using the most primitive methods to recall memories once a forgetting event was triggered?

"Xu Xiaoshou..." Dao Qiongcang murmured, finding it somewhat intriguing. Could this Xu Xiaoshou possibly be stronger than the Ten Venerable Seats?

He pressed the jade slip to his forehead. Just as his holy sense scanned it, a faint, ethereal voice echoed from the distant sky: "Dao... Qiong... Cang!"

This direct call of his holy name reawakened everything connected to him, connections that had been briefly severed by the "Xu Xiaoshou" phenomenon. Dao Qiongcang abruptly recalled that his true adversary at this moment was not Xu Xiaoshou, but the Holy Emperor of the Cold Palace.

"Damn it!"

"Who exactly is this Xu Xiaoshou, to toy with me in such a way!"

Dao Qiongcang finally remembered that he was halfway through a desperate escape, having fled here, only to be interrupted by a mechanism he had set up in advance. He dared not ignore the warning from his past self before the Forgetfulness Guidance took effect; Dao Qiongcang knew just how cautious he truly was. The fact that he had to retrieve memories in such a convoluted manner indicated the extreme importance of the matter. He used his secondary brain to read the information about Xu Xiaoshou contained in the jade slip. Simultaneously, he quickly retrieved the reason he had previously decided that, in times of grave danger, his first choice would be to flee to the Southern Nether.

The Southern Nether, a celestial pool, could aid him!

"Holy Emperor of the Cold Palace, wait! I'm a good person!" Dao Qiongcang plunged into the Southern Nether, rapidly fleeing towards the deep sea. In his panicked haste, he even blurted out nonsense like "I'm a good person," words he didn't even believe himself. The excuse he had actually prepared was that he was merely temporarily away from the Holy Mountain, undercover in the Southern Region, still essentially a member of the Qianshi Emperor Realm, loyal to the Five Great Holy Emperor Families, and someone who wished to maintain good relations with the Cold Palace Emperor Realm.

There was no time! Time simply wouldn't allow for such verbose explanations!

"I am the First Daoist Emissary under Qianshi's command. After Dao Xuanji's defeat, I am paramount."

"Holy Emperor of the Cold Palace, please grant me a moment to speak. Do not act rashly, lest it harm the good relations between our two houses."

A wave exploded in the deep sea. Dao Qiongcang's holy sense gathered, and his voice, trembling, resonated high into the sky as he attempted to communicate. He firmly believed the Holy Emperor of the Cold Palace would not perceive this as a threat. Because those in high positions consider matters entirely differently from those of lower status. Compared to the matters of "apotheosis and becoming an ancestor" and "dividing the Wurao Emperor Realm," even with his high renown in the Five Regions, in the Holy Emperor of the Cold Palace's eyes, he was merely a small shrimp in the Southern Nether, posing no threat. The inscrutable Dao Qiongcang, for the first time, spoke such words without even laying eyes on his adversary. It was evident how seriously he regarded the Holy Emperor of the Cold Palace.

The Holy Emperor of the Cold Palace offered no reply, which was, of course, a tacit agreement. Yet he was not inactive. High above Mount Guihe in the Central Region, he condensed vague facial features, casting a gaze towards the Holy Divine Continent. He realized he had chosen the wrong location. So he projected the holy light from the Central Region towards the Southern Nether, aiming for the place where Dao Qiongcang attempted to hide but had nowhere to flee.

"One sentence!"

"I only have time for one sentence!"

Dao Qiongcang fled rapidly through the deep waters of the Southern Nether, feeling chilled to the bone. While frantically searching for something, his mind raced, almost burning out. Lady Luck seemed to be smiling upon him. It was precisely at this moment that his secondary brain completed reading all the contents of the Xu Xiaoshou brief.

"Xu.Xiao.Shou, Tiansang Spirit Palace..."

"Xu.Xiao.Shou, White Cave..."

"Xu.Xiao.Shou, Void Island..."

"Xu.Xiao.Shou, God's Relic..."

Everything, including the events currently unfolding, was recalled from the jade slip, presented with text, audio, and visual cues. Whenever it threatened to touch upon sensitive information, Dao Qiongcang had prepared to intercept, preventing "Xu.Xiao.Shou" from being explicitly linked with "Xu Xiaoshou." It reconstructed the intricate past between the powerful "Xu.Xiao.Shou" of the Way of Forgetfulness and himself, Dao Qiongcang, by presenting it as the life story of a stranger.

And when Dao Qiongcang finally finished reading the brief, his face turned green.

Xu Xiaoshou, his lifelong enemy!

He immediately betrayed the fellow, roaring aloud: "There is a scoundrel, Xu.Xiao.Shou, who has achieved super-Dao Transformation in the Way of Forgetfulness! He provoked the Holy Emperor of the Cold Palace, then vanished without a trace, only to smear my name with dirty water! Holy Emperor of the Cold Palace, I implore you to issue an edict to banish forgetfulness and restore the Way, clearing my name and revealing the truth!"

Holy light descended upon the Southern Nether, the waves flattened, and sea beasts held their breath. A deadly silence held sway over the sea for but an instant. Then, magnificent light blossomed in the sky. In that instant, everyone in the Five Regions, as far as their eyes could see, and even within their minds, witnessed a golden edict unfurl. Eight characters were inscribed upon it, concise and to the point, directly conveying the true meaning of the Great Dao:

"Five Regions: Forgetfulness forbidden, Great Dao restored."

[Frightened, Passive Point, +1]

Although there was no Transmission Mirror in the Southern Region, Xu Xiaoshou heard Dao Qiongcang's words through the lingering, intrusive eavesdropping thought he had left on him. He immediately realized that using "Alone in the World" too frequently in front of Dao Qiongcang had exposed its weakness. This guy was never an ordinary individual. Before, even if he perceived something, he wouldn't be able to recall anything related to Xu Xiaoshou. But now, he had evolved!

Damn that flamboyant old Daoist, he truly deserved to die... Before Xu Xiaoshou could utter more curses, the scene before him shifted. Holy light descended upon the Five Regions, its immense power spreading across the continent. When the long-unseen golden scroll unfurled in his sight once more, Xu Xiaoshou, who had been waiting to watch the show in his dual state of "Vanishing Art" and "Alone in the World," was startled.

"A Holy Emperor's Golden Edict?"

"No, Brother Gonghan, how could you believe the one-sided words of that flamboyant old Daoist? You're mistaken!"

The incident when the Eight Venerables descended a Holy Emperor's Golden Edict upon Void Island, reshaping the Five Regions, was still fresh in his memory. Xu Xiaoshou couldn't help but take seriously the Holy Emperor of the Cold Palace's current display of this Golden Edict. He also didn't believe his "Vanishing Art" and "Alone in the World" could withstand the Holy Emperor of the Cold Palace's power. After all, in the God's Relic, the recently revived Evil Yin had already shown the ability to resist guidance, almost rendering his "Vanishing Art" and "Alone in the World" combo useless, and nearly destroying him in the process.

However... was the Holy Emperor of the Cold Palace on the Holy Divine Continent truly stronger than the recently revived Evil Yin? Simply put, he was merely a Holy Emperor, while Evil Yin was an Evil God—a true deity!

Xu Xiaoshou still clung to a sliver of hope, intending to test it out. He immediately canceled "Vanishing Art," darted to Feng Zhongzui, slapped him, and asked: "Who am I?"

Stunned by the slap, Feng Zhongzui instinctively tried to blurt out a name but faltered: "Shou... Shou..."

"I don't believe it!"

"How could you know me?"

Xu Xiaoshou swiftly darted over to Beibei: "Who am I?"

Beibei also froze: "Who are you?"

At that moment, the Holy Emperor's Golden Edict in the sky retracted, completely banning the Way of Forgetfulness and recalling all past events. Only then did Beibei fully recall all the humiliations she had endured. Her small face tightened, and she furiously pointed at Xu Xiaoshou, gnashing her teeth: "Xu Xiaoshou, you're finished!"

"You're absolutely done for! Let's see how you stir up trouble this time!"

Her cheek twitched; she too had received a slap from Master Shou.

"Ah!!!"

Xu Xiaoshou ignored the helplessly enraged little Beibei. Seeing that he was exposed, he spun around, leaped high into the sky, and roared: "Dao Qiongcang, we agreed to stand together! How could you sell me out at this critical moment? Do you really think this will clear your name and make the Holy Emperor of the Cold Palace overlook your previous Heavenly Secret blockade?"

"Yue Gonghan!" He then furiously pointed at the heavens, shouting indignantly: "It's me! It's all me! Everything was done by Xu Xiaoshou! It has nothing to do with my friend Dao Qiongcang! If you've got the guts, come at me alone!"

Feng Zhongzui's pupils trembled. He heard people swaying, almost stumbling and falling. It was terrifying. So Master Shou had previously smeared others and vanished, intending for Palace Lord Dao to bear the consequences alone. Now that he was discovered, he was forcibly tying himself to Palace Lord Dao again? Master Shou truly couldn't be provoked! For Palace Lord Dao to have met Master Shou, it was a blessing cultivated over five lifetimes, all of it now fed to the Five Declines of Heaven and Man—nothing but unending misfortune.

"Boom!"

A thunderclap from a clear sky. Regardless of Master Shou's attempts at framing or binding, the Holy Emperor of the Cold Palace seemed to truly possess some capability. From the Southern Region, he realized he had been played by Xu Xiaoshou immediately upon their 'meeting'. Across a region, he condensed vast Holy Ancestor power, transforming it into a colossal, sky-obscuring hand that reached through a spatial rift towards Mount Guihe.

"The Hand of the Holy Ancestor!"

Feng Zhongzui was utterly terrified, letting out a gasp of horror. Master Shou's spiritual threads, inserted into his body like puppet strings, were instantly severed by the terrifying pressure. Without support, Feng Zhongzui toppled completely, crashing to the ground and splitting his head open.

"Thump, thump, thump."

All around, like hailstones, Half-Saints one by one succumbed to the immense pressure of the Holy Ancestor's Hand, plummeting from the sky and crashing unceremoniously to the ground.

"Ouch!"

Beibei splatted headfirst into the soil and rocks, her upper body completely submerged, with only her two short legs dangling outside like two large white onions. This strike was nothing short of terrifying. Through the completely distorted and blurry Transmission Mirror, everyone in the Five Regions could imagine the terrifying pressure at the center of the battlefield!

But everyone around him had fallen. They weren't even directly touched; the mere aftershocks were enough to overwhelm them. Master Shou, however, remained standing! He stood atop the peak of Guihe, trampling over ruins, indomitable and unyielding! Under the Hand of the Holy Ancestor, a mere Dao-Severing Xu Xiaoshou was as insignificant as an ant, hardly worth mentioning. Yet not only did he remain standing, he actually considered resisting.

Facing the sky-obscuring hand descending upon him, Master Shou raised both arms high and cried out: "Duke Dao, help me!"

Duke Dao? Was that Palace Lord Dao's... nickname? The Five Regions were stunned. Did Palace Lord Dao truly possess such divine power, enough to help Master Shou overcome this calamity?

"Stop calling me!" The person in question, Dao Qiongcang, now only wished to disappear. He had already hidden in the Southern Nether, regretting that he hadn't chosen a name with eighteen characters back then; perhaps that would have allowed him to evade Xu Xiaoshou's summons. He had no desire to fight, only to seek refuge. As for helping Xu Xiaoshou... "I wish you all the best!"

But Dao Qiongcang offered no help. Xu Xiaoshou, however, paid no mind. He even dared to wait until the Holy Ancestor's Hand was upon him before his eyes changed. He became passionate, surging, and fervent, almost transforming into Cao Erzhu as he screamed heartbreakingly: "Yes, just like that time!"

"Just like when we fought Evil Yin back then, let's fight side by side, Dao Qiongcang!"

"Which way?" The Five Regions were baffled. "Which way are you talking about?!" Dao Qiongcang was on the verge of being driven mad. Xu Xiaoshou's one-man show was so convincing that Dao Qiongcang even began to wonder if he remembered incorrectly—whether the Three Venerables Qiongcang had used Xu Xiaoshou's body back then, instead of Cao Erzhu's.

"Boom!"

At the critical moment, Master Shou seemed to truly receive assistance from Duke Dao. A magnificent aura erupted around him, an ancestral power no weaker than anyone else's. This immense power actually managed to halt the Holy Ancestor's Hand for a fraction of a second. During that brief pause, Xu Xiaoshou swiftly wielded invisible brush and ink, using his mastery of painting to rewrite the aura of Heavenly Ancestor power into the aura of Holy Ancestor power: "Just like that time, when you lent me Holy Ancestor power!"

"This time, we're still together!"

He roared, raising his shield and rising. Activating all the power within the Dragon Pearl for the first time, he dared not delay, transforming into an ultimate giant. Yet, "Painting Mastery" simultaneously rewrote the ultimate giant into the image of the Holy Ancestor that Dao Qiongcang had summoned in the God's Relic while feigning to be a Holy Ancestor and deceiving Evil Yin.

And so, from the perspective of the Five Regions...

As the Hand of the Holy Ancestor was about to suppress Master Shou, Master Shou merely shouted "Duke Dao, help me!" and holy light descended from the heavens to aid him. He shot up, leaped to meet the holy light, and transformed into a Holy Ancestor!

"What?" Feng Zhongzui's pupils nearly burst. "Master Shou transformed into a Holy Ancestor?" The Five Regions were equally bewildered. Was it Duke Dao's assistance that allowed him to temporarily become a Holy Ancestor?

There was no time to think! The Holy Ancestor picked up His shield... wait, no, the Holy Ancestor actually picked up his Suijun Shield and slammed it fiercely against the descending Hand of the Holy Ancestor.

"Clang!"

This strike directly shattered tens of thousands of miles of sky, cracking the Transmission Mirror's surface and leaving the minds of everyone in the Five Regions utterly blank. The Great Dao itself was reduced to dust. The reverberation echoed throughout the Five Regions. In the Eastern Region, even the Sword Burial Mound felt the tremor.

In the heart of the battlefield, as the vacuum dissipated and ancestral source power shimmered everywhere, the people of the Five Regions could already discern the victor of this clash.

The Hand of the Holy Ancestor was utterly pulverized! The fleeting Holy Ancestor was also pulverized!

Yet amidst the dazzling, beautiful light, Master Shou returned with his shield, roaring towards the sky as if venting a surge of boiling emotion. He was hunched over. He threw his arms up, shouting. Even with the Transmission Mirror cracked, the Five Regions clearly heard Master Shou's tearing cry. That single cry sent shivers down spines and shattered courage: "Don't underestimate the bond between me and Dao Qiongcang, Brother Gonghan!"

"Pfft!"

Deep in the sea, Dao Qiongcang spat out a mouthful of blood, as if his soul had been ripped away, utterly drained. It was over. Now, even plunging into the Southern Nether wouldn't be enough to clear his name.