Chapter 1747: The Great Illusion Infallible Technique Dog's Opening, Great Thoughts as Usual, Sneaky Yin Arrives

The atmosphere grew heavy. Just as everyone in the Dead Sea stared, somewhat stunned, as Master Shou suddenly sat cross-legged and closed his eyes, Xu Xiaoshou also stared at the entire Flower World, which had suddenly frozen, and fell into a brief daze.

"Uh, wait, that's not right?"

Seeing all the stiffened flowers around him, Xu Xiaoshou realized he had probably guessed wrong. He awkwardly crushed the Void Sword in his hand, wanting to pretend nothing had happened, but he couldn't quite manage it.

"You are not Yu Tu, are you?"

Xu Xiaoshou was genuinely confused. In the art of Illusory Sword, besides himself, only Laughing Big Mouth could be considered a master. Apart from the two of them, the only other possibility was Ba Zun'an. But since this person wasn't Ba Zun'an, the next in line would be Yu Tu, and beyond Yu Tu... his knowledge of ancient sword cultivator history ran out. It couldn't possibly be that this person was the Great Sword Saint Hua Weiyang from the Sword God Era, could it?

"Yu Tu, then?" "Mr. Si Ren's good bud... friend?"

Xu Xiaoshou cautiously conjured a small sword again, poking the air twice. Afterward, he lightly performed a simplified "White Cloud Floating" technique, hoping to evoke memories of the highly simplified White Cloud Sword Art of the Seven Heaven-Traveling Swords—if this person had any.

It was fruitless.

After the Flower World's brief solidification, a voice, as solemn as could be, resonated: "My name is Hua Weiyang."

Xu Xiaoshou's mind buzzed, and his thoughts became disoriented. Hua Weiyang? The name felt so foreign, yet so familiar! In an instant, he remembered where he had heard and seen that name. "Isn't that a figure from the Sword God Era?"

As he recalled the sparse history of ancient sword cultivators in his memory, Xu Xiaoshou's expression paled slightly. In the Sword God Era, many ancient sword cultivators were famous, but few were memorable to Xu Xiaoshou, only those at the very peak: Sword God Gu Louying and Divine Sword Feng Wuchen. These two were said to be almost equals; it was rumored that when their battle concluded, only a single move or two separated them. Their influence, however, was unparalleled. The former laid the foundation for the entire ancient sword dao, while the latter left behind the Sword Pavilion and the Feng family of the Southern Domain. Feng Zhongzui was a descendant of Divine Sword Feng Wuchen!

Following these two were the nine disciples under the Sword God, later revered as the "Nine Great Sword Saints." These were not casual titles like "Sword Saint Mei" or "Sword Saint Rao," which were merely equivalent to Spirit Refinement Half-Saints. Back then, the title "Sword Saint" could only be bestowed upon those nine individuals, representing the highest honor. It was said that the Nine Great Sword Saints each cultivated one of the nine sword arts: Illusory Ninety Thousand, Emotionless, or Hidden Ghostly Affection, though some also claimed they cultivated other paths, such as the Killing Sword Dao. To this day, it's difficult to ascertain the full truth. But undeniably, the most talented and accomplished of the nine, and the universally recognized third person in ancient sword dao, was the Great Sword Saint specializing in Illusory Sword Art, also known as Sword Saint Hua — Hua Weiyang!

Xu Xiaoshou knew of "Hua Weiyang." A long, long time ago... well, perhaps not that long ago. It was when he was still in the Tiansang Spirit Palace, just starting to learn ancient sword arts, that he heard the story of Su Qianqian's famous sword, "Tomb Name City Snow." One of the Sword God's disciples, named "City Snow," was rumored to have been slain by a demonized Killing Sword Saint, and a monument was erected in his memory. Countless years later, the monument, nourished by sword intent, transformed into a sword, becoming "Tomb Name City Snow," one of the twenty-one famous swords.

On Void Island, the Void Suppression Stele was known for "leaving names." When Xu Xiaoshou left his name there, he also saw many names of "ancient sword cultivators," such as City Snow, Xiao Hei, and Feng Wuchen... And of course, there was also "Hua Weiyang"! At the time, Xu Xiaoshou didn't know who these names belonged to or what they represented, but now, no longer a novice in the ancient sword cultivator circles, he had some understanding.

He composed himself, looking at the surrounding flowers and plants with disbelief, unsure whom to address. "Are you Hua Weiyang?" "Yes." "The chief disciple under the Sword God, Sword Saint Hua, Hua Weiyang?" "Yes." "The senior brother of Tomb Name City Snow, the one you cultivated swords with—you're still alive, even now?"

Sword Saint Hua seemed to fall silent, offering no response. In truth, ever since the first answer came, and his information panel didn't trigger "Deceived," Xu Xiaoshou knew that the identity of Great Sword Saint Hua Weiyang was undoubtedly genuine. Yet, he still couldn't believe it. If he had met Sword God Gu Louying, Xu Xiaoshou could understand. A Sword God, after all, possessed immense power and leaving behind a trace of will for descendants was plausible. But Sword Saint Hua... had he also become an Ancestor God? If not, and he was at most a Saint Emperor, how could he live this long? Even if his lifespan allowed it, how could he have survived so many eras without being discovered and eliminated by other Ancestor Gods? Even if he could use spatial-temporal leaps to evade an Ancestor God's pursuit, how could he, in the present, stop Xu Xiaoshou before he met the Sword God, block out the other Ancestor Gods still alive in this world, and communicate with him? What was the purpose of all this? —He racked his brain but couldn't find an answer!

Xu Xiaoshou's head was practically smoking from trying to figure it out; he couldn't deduce a precise answer. Just then, a long sigh echoed from the void: "His surname is Feng, and his name is Feng Chengxue, not Tomb Name City Snow."

Feng Chengxue... Whether it was Feng or Tomb, Xu Xiaoshou no longer cared. He was astonished to realize that Great Sword Saint Hua Weiyang didn't seem to be using a special illusion to communicate across time. It appeared he had genuinely lived until now! And his presence in this Flower World didn't feel illusory; instead, it conveyed the sensation of a complete, concrete "life form"...

"I possess the profound meaning of life!" "Why would I need to 'feel'?" Xu Xiaoshou stepped on his Life Dao Disk, then looked up at this Flower World. There was no one! Only flowers! The entire world was interwoven and outlined into a complete pattern of life. Flower roots connected to other roots, branches echoed branches, and even the rules of the Great Dao weren't independent but mutually sustained by the flowers throughout the world. Complex, profound, and terrifying to behold!

*Boom!* With just one glance, Xu Xiaoshou's body trembled violently, and blood streamed from his eyes. Life force... It was too immense! This was not just thousands, but tens of thousands of times greater than Elder Yu's vast vitality! Standing on his Life Dao Disk, Xu Xiaoshou's gaze seemed to behold a "colossus" that had merged all the world's life force into one — even a Saint Emperor wouldn't possess such life energy! Had the world been compressed into a life form? Or, had a certain life form replaced the will of the entire world?

"Hua Weiyang..." The impact of that glance was more terrifying than when he first witnessed Sui Yin in the Divine Ruins. At that time, Sui Yin was still weak, and his physical body had been shattered by Shen Yi's staff; he was not in his strongest state. But this "colossus" now, Xu Xiaoshou felt he was seeing a fully mature... Ancestor God!

"No!" "It shouldn't be an Ancestor God." "Ancestor Gods don't feel this ethereal and illusory; they are real, existing 'individuals'..." Xu Xiaoshou suddenly realized that perhaps Hua Weiyang was no longer a "person" but had merged with the entire Flower World.

The void trembled, and a mocking laugh echoed: "One cannot look directly at a god."

An Ancestor God? Xu Xiaoshou quickly lowered his head, not daring to be presumptuous. "Have you achieved the Ancestor God realm?" "No." Sword Saint Hua denied it. He wasn't ambiguous but stated very directly: "I have become Dao-ized, serving as the 'Dao' of this world, and also its 'Protector of the Dao,' a status equivalent to an Ancestor God." "Thus, anyone who wishes to transcend Dao-ization may first choose to observe this and then consider whether to place it below an Ancestor God."

Xu Xiaoshou's heart tightened. Before he could speak, Hua Weiyang paused slightly then said: "Xu Xiaoshou, remember... transcending Dao-ization allows one to perceive ancestors."

This declaration was undoubtedly a thunderous hammer, shaking his heart and instantly solidifying Xu Xiaoshou's certainty. His Intent Dao Disk's guidance was not wrong! It was highly probable that Hua Weiyang wasn't deceiving him! Was it because Xu Xiaoshou was also an ancient sword cultivator that he had spoken so much and warned him so much from the start? You are a good person...

Striving to regard this being as benevolent, Xu Xiaoshou pondered what had just been said about "Dao-ization" and thoughtfully asked: "Did you undergo Dao-ization to protect the Holy Divine Continent?" "Good." "What is 'good'?" "...Yes."

Alright, you truly are a good person; I was judging a gentleman with the heart of a petty man... Xu Xiaoshou glanced at his unruffled information panel, then asked again: "Did you tell me all this because I am particularly handsome, dashing, and elegant?"

*Ding!* For the first time while facing this Flower World, the information panel showed a fluctuation: "Suspected, Passive Points, 1."

Xu Xiaoshou instantly became certain that Hua Weiyang could be assessed by the passive system! This meant that his answers were indeed entirely truthful, and not beyond the system's discernible standard.

My apologies, Sword Saint Hua, I'm sorry for doubting your character. But this world is truly filled with too much malice, and there are many villains: Dao Qiongcang, Sui Yin... There are just too many ill-intentioned individuals. There are even those like Kong Yuhen, whom one can't even tell if they harbor ill intentions. If you were some Ancestor God pretending to test me, I truly wouldn't withstand it; a moment of gullibility could mean my end!

This time, Hua Weiyang paused for a long while before speaking with a hint of doubt: "Truth-telling spell?"

Xu Xiaoshou was startled too. You know, he really hit the nail on the head! Those three words, "Truth-telling spell," perfectly summarized how his information panel verified lies. The last person to so incisively point out the issue was Dao Qiongcang!

"I've encountered many deceivers..." Xu Xiaoshou didn't hide anything, candidly admitting that he possessed such a "truth-telling spell" ability. Mutual trust was the beginning of cooperation. He had seen Hua Weiyang's goodwill and began to lower his guard, hoping this wasn't a mistake.

"Young one..." "Ho!" A call echoed in the void once more. But this time, as Xu Xiaoshou's guard lowered, the call sounded somewhat chilling.

*Crack!* An odd sound came. Xu Xiaoshou nervously turned his gaze, only to see with horror that the surrounding Flower World shifted; its vibrant petals withered and fell to the ground. Sand turned to dust, the land became barren, Dao laws shattered, space twisted, and everything disintegrated, no longer perfect. In the blink of an eye! This once vibrant Flower World had become a scarred battlefield ruin.

From a distance, it seemed vaguely familiar, strongly resembling the Divine Ruins after a battle.

*Buzz!* The air vibrated. An illusory divine throne emerged. On the throne, a slender figure reclined, head resting sideways, with three heads and six arms, in a relaxed, contented posture. A closer look revealed crowded facial features, each head dominated by a single massive, eerie purple eye, radiating malevolent energy. The figure, napping on the divine throne, glanced over and spoke with a brief, mocking laugh: "Xu... Xiao... Shou..." "So easily fooled, are you?"

As the words settled, Xu Xiaoshou's pupils constricted, his eyes almost bulging from his face. As he retreated, he quickly pulled out the Ancestral Shadow Staff. "Damn you, Sui Yin, are you messing with me!?" Was this Sui Yin? Not Hua Weiyang? From beginning to end, had Sui Yin been the one who sought him out, playing all these tricks? Had he recovered?! Xu Xiaoshou suddenly felt a surge of panic. Currently, there was no Shen Yi or Dao Qiongcang, just himself. Fortunately, he still had the Ancestral Shadow Staff! Everything could still be reset!

He raised the Ancestral Shadow Staff high, but before Xu Xiaoshou could use it to reverse time, to rewind himself to the state before "perceiving god"... "Friend..." A whisper reached his ear. Xu Xiaoshou turned his head in alarm, only to see that the Ancient and Modern Forget-Worry Tower had appeared at some unknown time. The wooden door beneath the pavilion opened, and Kong Yuhen strolled out. He wore white robes, but where his head should be, there was a wooden carving! Like nesting dolls, endless time and endless wooden carvings!

"Friend, you seem anxious?" Kong Yuhen said slowly, extending a hand and gently hooking. The Ancestral Shadow Staff, once a gift that could alter the flow of time, was immediately confiscated.

"You..." Xu Xiaoshou's hand felt empty, and his scalp tingled. Kong Yuhen and Sui Yin—were they colluding? The evolved Kong Yuhen he had seen in the Dead Sea, and the subsequent theory that Kong Yuhen was dangerous, seemed to be manifesting now.

As the wooden-carved scholar, Kong Yuhen, walked back into the pavilion, through the half-open door... Xu Xiaoshou could faintly make out something! On the tea table, there was a golden-robed figure split into six large chunks of flesh! And on the wooden wall behind the tea table, in the spot where the Ancestral Shadow Staff should have been displayed, now hung the crossed Swords of Profound Wound and Soul Sever!

"Huang Quan is completely done for?" Inference could never compare to concrete sight. Seeing that the Ancient and Modern Forget-Worry Tower was also engaged in human experimentation, goosebumps erupted all over Xu Xiaoshou's body. He thought of the refined gentleman he had met upon his first entry into the tower. He recalled the seemingly sincere pretense when the other party gifted him the Ancestral Shadow Staff. Was it all an act? All false? Was he being fattened up like a pig for slaughter?

"Damn you, Kong..." Before the vulgar words fully escaped his mouth, *poof*, a large red flower burst forth. "Ugh!" Xu Xiaoshou felt terribly uncomfortable, yet his mind stirred. Why a flower? Could none of this be real, but rather a test from Great Sword Saint Hua Weiyang...?

"Oh." "Blame me for being too clever." The strange flower rooted itself in his organs. Its coarse roots grew rapidly, drawing nourishment from within and spreading outwards. Not only did they burst from his mouth, but soon roots also pierced and crawled out from his nostrils, eyeballs, and ear canals. *Fake, it's all fake, this is the second world, and Hua Weiyang excels in illusion arts. I heard he can even use Illusory Sword Art to open profound gates...* Xu Xiaoshou calmed down, constantly reassuring himself. His thoughts suddenly froze as he recalled the illusion he was under when he first entered the inner courtyard of Tiansang Spirit Palace and trespassed into Rao Yinyin's spiritual dwelling. He hastily checked his information panel... There was no "Afflicted by Illusion"!

It wasn't fake; it was all real?

*Pop, pop, pop!* More red flowers bloomed. Xu Xiaoshou's entire head was replaced by flower stems, roots, and blossoms; his facial features were gone, and he couldn't see anything. Even his spiritual sense was stripped away! But he wasn't an ordinary Spirit Refiner; he still had "Perception"! He clearly saw Sui Yin on the divine throne, raising his slender five fingers as if to form a seal. He was smiling. He was mockingly laughing at Xu Xiaoshou's ignorance. He had only bloomed one technique-flower, and this kid had lost all resistance; he seemed completely unaware...

"Illusory Sword Art?" "Illusion art?" On the divine throne, Sui Yin raised his hand and slowly shook his head: "All things are arts, but forbidden arts transcend them. Great illusions contain no emptiness, and great thoughts are as usual. How could you know that the art of the Dao is without illusion? Heh..."

His index finger pressed against the pad of his middle finger, then slid down sharply. "Forbidden!" A single word was uttered. The entire barren and dilapidated battlefield exploded. Around Xu Xiaoshou, boundless dark abysses tore open, and within these abysses, nine red flowers materialized, subtly forming the shape of a monstrous dog's maw. Those nine great red flower-dog maws, with their fangs and unrestrained, arbitrary forms, lunged upwards in unison as Xu Xiaoshou fell, opening their mouths to tear at his body...

They pulled from all directions! It was like nine dogs dismembering a corpse!

"Forbidden Art: Dog's Feast." "Go to heaven with your heavenly ancestor."