Chapter 1744: I Desire to Mourn Shennong, On the Verge of Death One Can Sacrifice the Rampaging Body

Weeping Emperor Realm.

After the first rain, the air was filled with the fresh, clear scent of plants and trees; even the smell of mud seemed to have turned sweet.

In this uninhabited world, sounds of joy and excitement echoed everywhere.

Chubby little Beihuais scurried around on their small feet, chasing each other and bringing vibrant life to the world.

"Someone has achieved the life force of 'medicine'..."

Beneath the Great World Huai, a faint voice accompanied the manifestation of a dark figure.

Beihai, dressed in white with bare feet, stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the scenery below the mountain. He turned his head at the sound, his gaze moving upwards.

The dark figure behind him cast no shadow; it was merely a black robe.

Standing three zhang tall, there was no human face or features beneath its large hood, only two faint, ghostly flames.

The skeletal hand beneath its sleeve still clutched the long-handled, long-bladed black scythe, resting it on its shoulder.

It was unclear where it was looking or what it was referring to.

"The power of the Medicine Ancestor?"

After a pause, seeing the black robe remained unmoving, Beihai continued calmly:

"The Holy God Continent has seen many talents emerge. The rare legacies you left behind are actually quite numerous, and someone always manages to follow the clues and cultivate a bit of their power."

"You rarely emerge, but you've been appearing quite frequently recently."

He hinted at something.

"Perhaps some region has become turbulent again, drawing you out. Care to explain?"

This time, the black robe didn't disappear after speaking; it lingered for a while longer, its voice echoing faintly from an unknown part of its form:

"Not one I know well, yet one I recognize."

Beihai paused, a look of intense interest growing in his eyes. "Xu Xiaoshou? He did cultivate the mysteries of life, making him the most promising candidate to attain the power of the Medicine Ancestor."

The black robe remained silent.

Beihai understood.

Silence implied confirmation, meaning it was indeed Xu Xiaoshou.

But for it to react this way, did it mean it didn't even know where Xu Xiaoshou had cultivated the Medicine Ancestor's power?

"Transcendent Dao Transformation, ancestor-seeing ability..." Beihai mused, puzzled. "At this point, it seems you should be visiting him, not me?"

The black robe still didn't speak.

Beihai understood that some unforeseen accident had occurred, preventing the "Transcendent Dao Transformation" and "ancestor-seeing ability" from manifesting.

"Is it a Dao?"

Beihai asked, referring to what Xu Xiaoshou had comprehended.

If Xu Xiaoshou had mastered the transcendent Dao Transformation of the Great Dao of Life, or was even on the verge of deification and becoming an ancestor in this Dao, the threat would be immense.

If not...

The black robe showed no change, its voice calmly emerging:

"Not a Dao, but a skill bordering on it."

Not a Dao, but merely a life spirit technique?

What kind of spirit technique could instantly awaken this entity, prompting it to come out and warn him?

Beihai pondered for a moment, but found no answer. He shrugged nonchalantly:

"A skill bordering on Dao cannot reach godhood."

"He's strayed from the path; he won't be able to become an Ancestor God. Cultivating these is meaningless."

With that, he disregarded the black robe and leaned against the tree, sitting down.

After patting the cute head of a newly sprouted radish Beihai on the ground, Beihai casually pulled out a book and a brush from his waist.

The book and the brush were what truly mattered, more important than Xu Xiaoshou.

Recently, Beihai felt he could find a substitute for the God of Avarice...

Oh no!

He should put it this way:

He was merely on the verge of reclaiming what was rightfully his.

"Aba aba..."

The radish Beihai, planted in the ground with three green leaves on its head, had round eyes, its pupils and teeth opening and closing as it made meaningless sounds.

Beihai ignored it, busily writing something in the book, and finally leaving a pile of data on it.

After a long time, he finally looked up, staring into the void and asking:

"If Xu Xiaoshou cultivates the transcendent Dao Transformation of the Great Dao of Life and also meets you, will you choose him or me?"

After speaking, he turned his head to look, his eyes calm, as if discussing something mundane.

The black robe was still there.

It hadn't left yet.

This time, surprisingly, it didn't choose silence but responded without hesitation:

"You."

Beihai's lips curled up, as if in a smile.

He clipped the brush into the pages of the book, closed it, and gently stroked the cute radish Beihai on the ground. His gaze once again drifted towards the distant sky as he murmured distractedly:

"I'd prefer it if you chose him."

"I have waited for a very long time..."

The black robe didn't reply, its form fading until it completely disappeared.

The book lay on Beihai's lap. As Beihai leaned back comfortably against the tree trunk, a gentle breeze swept through the mountain cliffs, causing the book's pages to rustle and flip.

"Ah Le," "Ah Ya," "Ah Mei," "Ah Qi," "Ah Shou"...

One name after another was quickly turned to.

The wind, having quickly turned past all previously recorded data and blank pages, also swept open the final page.

It appeared to be an experimental project awaiting activation.

All data records on it were empty, except for the initial entry for the name, which was left blank.

"Name: Shennong Hundred Herbs."

"This Grotesque Trick and life attribute seem somewhat related?"

In the Dead Sea, Xu Xiaoshou used the cover of the Nine Deaths Thunder Tribulation to bathe in lightning while pondering, stroking his chin.

The Nine Deaths Thunder Tribulation was entering its mid-stage climax.

Having passed through them consecutively, these should be the fourth and fifth tribulations.

Yet the damage wasn't high; it merely left his entire body numb and tingling.

However, the life force that emerged from the tribulation's extremity stimulated Xu Xiaoshou, giving rise to other ideas:

"However, 'Transformation' itself indeed altered my life form."

"Whether it's the Second True Form or the Grotesque Trick, both have been deepened based on this. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them legacies of the Medicine Ancestor."

"It's a pity, though, that I only grasp their form, not their essence... If I could deduce the essence of life through the Grotesque Trick, I wouldn't even need to activate the Life Dao Disk to achieve transcendent Dao Transformation!"

Despite saying "a pity," Xu Xiaoshou didn't truly feel it; he was very satisfied with the Grotesque Trick, his second awakening.

In fact, Xu Xiaoshou had never been dissatisfied with any passive skill given by the Passive System until today.

He would always, unexpectedly, discover that the utility of certain passive skills was greater than he had imagined.

There were no small passive skills, only useless users.

"Let's continue."

The Nine Deaths Thunder Tribulation was still ongoing.

And the second awakening frenzy, of course, couldn't stop either.

Now, only one extended passive skill throughout his entire body had not undergone its second awakening.

Xu Xiaoshou naturally wanted to see what kind of surprise awaited him after Absolute Balance Rejection, Immeasurable Silent Son, and Grotesque Trick.

"Resilience..."

"Resilience Concubine, you've waited long, I'm here."

Resilience was too persistent, giving a sense of enduring forbearance, constantly suppressing its burgeoning desires without release.

At critical moments, it could make one feel both blissfully alive and utterly dead, unable to stop.

In this regard, even Love for All Beings could hardly escape its influence.

Resilience's first awakening was Immovable Wisdom King; Xu Xiaoshou no longer wished to recall how incredibly useful it was.

"So, how many times will it take?"

At this final stage, Xu Xiaoshou was extremely generous.

Even if Resilience required five or ten attempts, he would provide it. There was nothing more to say... passive points, plenty!

"Second awakening failed."

"Second awakening failed."

His luck, it seemed, had returned?

After six preparatory attempts, on the seventh try, Xu Xiaoshou welcomed the final crescendo of his second awakening frenzy.

"Second awakening successful."

"Resilience."

"Resilience."

Xu Xiaoshou was an extremely sensitive person.

To this day, his micro-management and microscopic understanding of his own power were unparalleled.

As soon as this new second awakening appeared, he hadn't even had time to test it.

The power in his body completely vanished, as if something had drained it dry!

A bolt of lightning struck, flaying Xu Xiaoshou's skin and nearly killing him.

Fortunately, his physical strength was fundamentally impressive, and the Nine Deaths Thunder Tribulation was relatively weak, allowing him to endure the damage and recover.

"What's going on?"

"Who's messing with me?"

After recovering, he was about to search for the anonymous opponent.

Xu Xiaoshou quickly realized that all the passive skills in his body that provided sustainability or indirect sustainability—such as Breathing Technique, Endless Vitality, Full of Energy, Transformation—

—their provided "quantity" had decreased.

Though it was only a tiny bit less, compared to before "Berserk Golden Body" emerged from the second awakening, it felt like a negligible loose thread had been snipped from his clothes.

But it had decreased, and that was that.

Moreover, the power loss was untraceable, which filled Xu Xiaoshou with a hint of fear. Was this from some unspeakable malice?

"What is this, so mysterious?"

"Resilience? Is that you? But you're just 'Resilience'! Haven't you understood your place? You want me to go 'berserk'?"

"Isn't Limit Giant enough to go berserk?!"

He complained while undergoing the tribulation. After searching around for an unmoving enemy, Xu Xiaoshou realized the enemy might truly be "Berserk Golden Body" itself.

With a thought, he intended to test this ability.

He had a good habit of immediately testing a passive skill once it was drawn and a new form awakened. Otherwise, he wouldn't have run off to receive the God's Descent spell from Dao Qiongcang after only half awakening in the Divine Remains.

But this time...

"Berserk Golden Body!"

Under the Nine Deaths Thunder Tribulation, Xu Xiaoshou shouted loudly, but there was no reaction.

He paused for half a breath, pointing one finger to the sky and another to the ground, his expression even more agitated:

"Hah!"

"Berserk Golden Body!"

Still no reaction.

Neither the first nor second awakening had descriptions; only special passive skills did, which was customary.

So, the effects of the former had to be discovered entirely through experimentation.

But at this moment, after two unsuccessful calls, Xu Xiaoshou realized something and focused his entire mind on the "Berserk Golden Body" entry in the second awakening section.

In his mind, a piece of information surfaced:

"Prerequisite: Draw one 'Peak'."

"Cycle: During normal life activities, passively draw a portion of passive power to maintain 'Peak'."

"Upon near death, sacrifice 'Self' to restore 'Peak' and enter 'Berserk Golden Body' state, lasting for five breaths."

"Upon expiration of time, if 'Berserk Golden Body' is forcibly dispelled, death occurs;"

"Upon expiration of time, if 'Berserk Golden Body' is dispelled prematurely, a wisp of consciousness is retained."

"When consciousness is restored to 'Peak,' draw one 'Peak' again, reactivate 'Berserk Golden Body,' and re-enter the 'Cycle'."

"Note: Berserk Golden Body automatically activates upon near death."

"Note: The Second True Form is equivalent to a 'Self,' and equivalent to one 'Peak'."

After carefully and repeatedly reading all the information regarding "Berserk Golden Body," Xu Xiaoshou was dumbfounded, still unable to fully comprehend.

"Resilience..."

Was this Resilience's second awakening?

This was simply too resilient!

Just by hearing the name "Berserk Golden Body," Xu Xiaoshou could already somewhat imagine its power.

It even required drawing one 'Peak'!

It also continuously stole his power during daily activities to maintain 'Peak.' Wasn't this like accumulating sand into a pagoda?

And finally, this Berserk Golden Body, exploding just before death, could only last for a mere "five breaths"...

If it didn't have a time limit, Xu Xiaoshou might not have found this significant.

But it had a time limit, a mere five breaths, along with so many strict prerequisites, and it couldn't be activated voluntarily, only passively upon near death. A mere second awakening was acting like a special passive skill, requiring a description rather than experimentation to understand its effects...

Special!

Berserk Golden Body was acting special!

Given all these special characteristics, Xu Xiaoshou greatly doubted how powerful he would be in the Berserk Golden Body state.

"Five-breath true man?"

"But where's the description?"

"Why does it only describe how to use 'Berserk Golden Body' but not its true nature?"

He reread the information in his mind, and indeed, there was no mention of how much power or other attributes would be amplified in the Berserk Golden Body state.

"No description means 'unlimited'?"

Xu Xiaoshou suddenly felt his thoughts racing, but the more he wanted to know, the less Berserk Golden Body revealed.

This damn Passive System!

However...

"Unlimited? Probably not."

"Perhaps it's related to my cultivation realm when 'Berserk Golden Body' is triggered? The stronger I am, the stronger Berserk Golden Body becomes?"

"But what if Berserk Golden Body is never triggered before I become a deity or an ancestor? After all, it's equivalent to dying once!"

Xu Xiaoshou still had some confidence.

He felt that with the various passive skills boosting him, there were many he couldn't defeat, but few he couldn't outrun in the Five Domains or even above the Heavenly Ladder.

Unless an Ancestor God revived!

And it would have to be a complete Ancestor God!

But how could such a true "God" care about a mere ant like him, and how could they genuinely fight him?

"Ugh, I still hope it doesn't activate..."

"However, Jin Ren is also equivalent to one 'Self.' Indeed, the Second True Form works like that, so it'll be easy to manage."

"If both Jin Ren and I possess 'Berserk Golden Body,' and both have had one 'Peak' drawn, then 'Berserk Golden Body' would be in an activatable state."

"Then, when I die, I can choose to sacrifice Jin Ren first, letting me experience the taste of a five-breath Berserk Golden Body."

"Ah, Jin Ren, you're truly a good person..."

"After testing it, if the battle isn't over and Berserk Golden Body doesn't automatically deactivate, I'll die."

"Death would then trigger my own Berserk Golden Body again. This time, sacrificing myself would grant another five breaths, making it a ten-breath true man..."

"But the first step after my own berserk state would definitely be to use the World-Severing Disappearance Art and then Ascend to Heaven to hide, then spend one breath to give birth to Jin Ren..."

At this point, Xu Xiaoshou's train of thought halted.

He felt as though he had stumbled upon something invincible: Endless Second True Forms, and Berserk Golden Body never ceasing?

"Hehe, I really want to try dying once..."

Under the Nine Deaths Thunder Tribulation, only the people of the Five Domains couldn't see it; otherwise, everyone would have witnessed how adorably foolish Master Shou's current grin was.

But Xu Xiaoshou wasn't stupid.

He quickly realized that it was highly unlikely such a loophole would actually exist for him to exploit.

He figured that by the time he reached a combat level where Berserk Golden Body was triggered, his enemies wouldn't let him escape, nor would he have the time to run. He would have to make full use of those five breaths.

Once Berserk Golden Body was triggered, he would likely truly "go berserk," losing all reason, left with only the most primal fight, a struggle to the death.

"Berserk Golden Body, is it the ultimate life-saving charm...?"

Looking up at the Nine Deaths Thunder Tribulation, Xu Xiaoshou suddenly felt a wave of worry. He didn't know if this was coincidence or something else.

Was it an omen?

Was it a warning?

Would I, Xu Xiaoshou, die?

"I don't believe it."

Xu Xiaoshou gave a confident smile.

Soon, his expression turned frantic. He pressed his palms together, repeatedly bowing towards a Heaven whose existence he wasn't sure of:

"No, no, I believe, I believe!"

"I actually believe a bit of everything, so don't mess with me!"

The Nine Deaths Thunder Tribulation struck as usual, a pleasant tingling sensation.

The people of the Five Domains were also observing the tribulation and the ceremony. Not even Love for All Beings disturbed him; he had already missed the peak he lost the moment Berserk Golden Body was drawn, missing a golden opportunity.

But the world continued to function as normal, unchanged by declarations, unaffected by belief or disbelief in anything.

The second awakening frenzy ended, and Xu Xiaoshou also paused for a while.

He remained quiet for a while, and as the Nine Deaths Thunder Tribulation approached its end, he recovered from his pointless anxieties, a smile returning to his face.

"Passive Points: 68,864,399."

It was over.

The second awakening had concluded.

It only cost 4.5 million passive points.

When a man dies, he faces heaven. What did the future matter? He just needed to focus on the present!

As for the present...

Hmm, what should he do next?