Chapter 1754: Shaking the Mountain to Alarm the Tiger and Startle the Silhouette, Staking All to Deceive the Divine Form

What's with this arrogant attitude! Such grand ambitions, yet acting like a mere child! You're mincing words, but when you were beaten into a sorry retreat from the God's Remains, you certainly weren't like this... What exactly are you pretending to be now?

Ancestral God's might is one thing, and Su Yin's oppressive aura is another. Xu Xiaoshou might have been shocked, but he wasn't so overwhelmed that he couldn't speak or stand. At that moment, his Intent Dao Disk spun furiously, a guiding force gathered, and as he pointed a finger, he shouted loudly:

"Su Yin!"

"What a waste of your three eyes! Turn around quickly and get a good look at who I am!"

Far away in the distant sky, Su Yin, who had been lazily reposing on his lofty divine throne, seemed to stiffen upon hearing the voice. Clearly, he remembered the owner of that voice.

As his three Su Yin eyes, on his three heads, simultaneously focused on the source of the sound, Su Yin, who had initially maintained his composed posture on the divine throne, suddenly straightened his back as if startled awake from a deathly illness:

"Dao Qiongcang?!"

He gasped in surprise. After his initial exclamation, his three eyes simultaneously refocused:

"No, Cao Yihan!"

He shook his head, dismissing his own thought. After racking his memory, his expression became unpredictable, and finally, he seemed to force out words from deep within, as if through gritted teeth:

"Xu! Xiao! Shou!"

Xu Xiaoshou burst out laughing and leaped into the air. Based on this reaction, he concluded that this Su Yin was indeed the real one, not a mere creation of Hua Weiyang's second world. Impossible to fabricate! Su Yin's unique Ancestral Godly pressure and his distinct arrogance were impossible for anyone to imitate.

If Xu Xiaoshou hadn't seen him before, he might have been fooled by the second world. But he had fought Su Yin! He knew what Su Yin truly was! Even last time, Hua Weiyang's second world, and the second world nested within it... From beginning to end, his sword arts hadn't deliberately created illusions, because he couldn't deceive himself. Instead, through imitation and manipulation, it made people waver between whether it was "true Su Yin" or "illusionary sword art," causing them to succumb even while fully conscious.

—A circuitous illusion!

Hua Weiyang's illusionary sword art was highly advanced. But this was not the time to evaluate Hua Weiyang's illusionary sword art; Xu Xiaoshou only knew that no one could imitate or fabricate Su Yin. Even if Hua Weiyang wanted to, he couldn't conjure an Ancestral God that was flawless down to the smallest detail out of thin air!

"It's actually him, how could it be him..."

On the divine throne, Su Yin evidently had no idea that someone was even questioning his authenticity. When his eyes fell upon Xu Xiaoshou, when he recognized that this was the very person who had beaten him into scattered disarray across the starry sky in the God's Remains, and then had even tricked him out of the Dragon's True Origin Stele, Su Yin's three eyes almost all turned red with rage!

He quickly realized that he could pretend and deceive anyone else in the vast starry sky, but not Xu Xiaoshou. Xu Xiaoshou knew his current condition! Because Xu Xiaoshou was the one who had beaten him! But could he simply turn and run? That was even more impossible! Let alone the stolen True Origin Stele, Su Yin was itching to kill Xu Xiaoshou. Just looking at the current situation, where he was superior and the other inferior, this young man had transcended the Dao and needed to meet the ultimate end of the Dao, the Ancestor of Art. Therefore, the one who should retreat was never an Ancestral God, never Su Yin!

"Scoundrel, you dare show your face..." After Su Yin's face turned grim, his sneer morphed into disdain. His three eyes darted around, and after scanning the Flower World, he grew even more emboldened, slowly sneering:

"Currently, you're isolated and unsupported, a lone tree cannot bear the weight."

"Can a mere ant's power overturn the heavens?"

Xu Xiaoshou's expression was calm; he squinted his eyes and quietly listened to Su Yin finish his pretense, still saying nothing. Su Yin let out a harsh laugh, his voice bone-chillingly cold:

"Speechless?"

As soon as these words fell, Xu Xiaoshou's eyes instead widened in anger. The three Dao Disks beneath his feet suddenly lit up. Simultaneously, a Dragon-Drawing Halberd materialized in his hand, appearing to grow larger and ready to charge!

"What?" Su Yin was greatly alarmed. His three heads and six arms all recoiled simultaneously. The divine throne trembled slightly, almost carrying him back into the starry sky, but he stopped just in time.

"Ah ha ha ha—"

Xu Xiaoshou didn't charge at all! Seeing that merely lifting his leg had almost scared Su Yin out of his wits, tears nearly welled up in Xu Xiaoshou's eyes from laughter:

"Su Yin, stop pretending. You can fool others, but can you fool me, young master, about your true capabilities and condition?"

"The True Origin Stele is right in my hand. You talk such a big game, come and take it then, come and deal with me!"

"What, I was just about to advance, and you're already retreating?"

"You're just not up to it!"

The Flower World, originally bustling and splendid, seemed to freeze after witnessing this strangely awkward scene. The wind ceased, and the flower branches no longer swayed. Everything seemed to have turned to stone. It was as if even Hua Weiyang was stunned.

"Scoundrel... how dare you!"

Su Yin, whose imposing aura on the divine throne had been instantly shattered, was now on the verge of popping his three eyes out. His voice came from an unknown part of him, but the gritted-teeth anger in his words was clear enough for even a fool to understand.

"You have no dignity, Su Yin."

"Were you looking for my companions just now? Don't worry, they're not here, haha."

"And also, I just gave you a little scare, and you're already so easily startled. Tsk, Su Yin, you're just a baby, a little Su Yin baby..."

Xu Xiaoshou's sarcasm never stopped. Clearly, even Hua Weiyang had never imagined that the relationship between this young sword master and the evil god Su Yin could be so subtle. Their exchange made him feel like an outsider; even his earlier attempt to "prevent a meeting" had become a joke.

But this didn't stop Hua Weiyang from reminding Xu Xiaoshou again:

"Beware! Su Yin is on the continent!"

Xu Xiaoshou's heart immediately tensed. He might have seemed to be joking, but in reality, he was highly vigilant; this was an evil god, after all. This reminder from Hua Weiyang was similar to his previous "Beware! Su Yin is nearby," but the difference was... "Nearby" meant Su Yin had already arrived and intervened in the Flower World. "On the continent" — could it mean he had already reached the Sacred God Continent? Wasn't he in the starry sky?

"No, if he were still in the starry sky, given his condition, he truly couldn't defeat Hua Weiyang."

"But if he had reached the Sacred God Continent..."

Xu Xiaoshou seemed to understand. Just like the five Great Saint Emperor families, rooted atop the Heavenly Ladder, would find it incredibly easy to act against beings on the Sacred God Continent, their 'backyard'. Su Yin himself was originally born on the land of the Sacred God Continent. By simply returning home and leveraging the various powers and influences left behind by the ancient 'Ancestor of Art/Su Yin,' breaking through the Flower World and Hua Weiyang's obstruction to forcibly meet him didn't seem difficult at all.

But one point didn't make sense...

"In the God's Remains, Su Yin dared not easily set foot on the Sacred God Continent; he had reservations."

"The concern of an Ancestral God could only be another Ancestral God."

"And now, it seems he was then wary of other Ancestral Gods, such as the unmentionable Demon Ancestor, Medicine Ancestor, and Ghost Ancestor, among others?"

"How dare he return now?"

This question, when pondered, was truly unsettling. Either Su Yin had formed an alliance with the aforementioned Ancestors and, after losing the God's Remains, was allowed to claim a small piece of the pie on the Sacred God Continent, or he paid some price, secretly appearing on the continent through deception, without any Ancestor noticing, or perhaps they noticed and tacitly allowed it?

"How could this be possible?"

Xu Xiaoshou felt neither scenario was realistic. How could one tolerate another sleeping soundly beside their bed? Since Ancestral Gods were alive, a balance of power had quietly been established on the continent. If Su Yin intervened now, even in his weakened state, it would still be an extremely powerful external force. Once the balance was broken, it would be difficult to re-establish. Ancestral Gods shouldn't be so foolish as not to understand this, should they?

"Su Yin!"

Further thought was pointless. Xu Xiaoshou was too lazy to waste any more words with Su Yin. Anyway, each had their own needs; he only needed to clarify his doubts.

"Let's cooperate, Lord Su Yin, Evil God."

"I know you have contingency plans on the continent. I won't specify which ones, but I have a general idea."

"So, what about me!"

"Have you considered me?"

Xu Xiaoshou pointed at himself, his face full of pride, and spoke slowly:

"I could tell the strength and limits of your contingency plans from your initial choice not to return to the Sacred God Continent, but to lie low and develop in the God's Remains."

"And regardless of their capabilities, you've personally experienced how strong I am, and how strong my companions and I are when we unite."

"Abandon them. Cooperate with me; we can both win. What do you say?"

Xu Xiaoshou employed this tactic of "striking the mountain to shake the tiger" with extreme skill. In reality, he wasn't entirely sure whether Su Yin's contingency plans involved people, objects, or events, but this didn't stop him from initiating communication. Truth is forged through debate. As long as Su Yin was willing to engage, regardless of his answer, some information would inevitably be revealed.

Before Qingyuan Mountain and the God's Remains, Xu Xiaoshou hadn't mastered this skill very well. After being subtly influenced by Dao Qiongcang for a while, he could now be considered to have wisdom at his fingertips.

"Cooperation?"

In the Flower World, the wind continued to blow. After seeing that Xu Xiaoshou was qualified to converse with Su Yin himself, Hua Weiyang seemed to completely loosen his grip and no longer interfered. He completely handed over the initiative to Xu Xiaoshou, no longer interfering with the young sword master's various choices with his own will. But the shift from confrontation to cooperation came so suddenly that it greatly surprised everyone.

"Mutual gain..."

Not only Hua Weiyang, but Su Yin on the divine throne was also somewhat stunned upon hearing the words. Anyone with discernment could see that, in that instant, a trace of contemplation flashed simultaneously in Su Yin's three large purple eyes.

"Tch."

But it was only for an instant before a sneering laugh, full of mockery, drifted from the void. Su Yin was about to speak, but Xu Xiaoshou interrupted him dismissively:

"Think carefully. I'm not joking this time."

"But if you refuse, perhaps even if there's a next time, there will be no possibility of cooperation between us again; I'll simply be teasing you."

After a pause, Xu Xiaoshou twirled his fingers and casually uttered:

"Think about the Demon Ancestor, think about the Ghost Ancestor..."

"And then think about yourself – you don't even have an 'Ancestor' title; people call you 'Su Yin,' and you're an 'Evil God'!"

In reality, the more he spoke, the more likely he was to make mistakes. Yet Xu Xiaoshou deliberately mentioned two Ancestral Gods whose titles didn't sound particularly benevolent. He omitted the Medicine Ancestor. Because of the interplay of medicine and spirits, if the Ghost Ancestor, effectively the God of Death, was dark, then perhaps there was a chance the Medicine Ancestor was still reasonable. Su Yin, being the corrupted form of the Ancestor of Art, might cooperate with the Demon Ancestor and Ghost Ancestor, or even seek to usurp them. The Medicine Ancestor... it's not impossible, is it? But in comparison, the probability would certainly be significantly lower!

The void grew somewhat silent. Su Yin was once again stunned into silence. He actually seemed to be genuinely considering the reliability of Xu Xiaoshou's words and the feasibility of cooperation. From this, Xu Xiaoshou could actually deduce that Su Yin subjectively didn't believe his contingency plans were stronger than Xu Xiaoshou himself.

"Are these contingencies people?"

"Has he cooperated with anyone who entered the God's Remains?"

If he truly had a choice, Su Yin would surely want to cooperate with him; it was just that they started on opposing sides. Losing face was one thing. Worrying about an overly powerful partner should also be a consideration—a confidence Xu Xiaoshou still possessed. Yet he wouldn't withdraw his chips; with a relaxed, half-smiling expression, he decided to stake everything:

"Don't forget why you're able to see me now."

"In terms of understanding the path of Art, I wouldn't say I've reached the peak, but I've certainly crossed the threshold, haven't I?"

Su Yin's expression finally darkened. The black hole space surrounding the divine throne, along with the change in atmosphere, became incredibly grim.

"Crossed the threshold?"

Su Yin was the Ancestor of Art, and the Ancestor of Art was Su Yin. How could he not know that for a newcomer to be qualified to meet him, their attainment in the path of Art would certainly be far more than just "crossing the threshold"!

"Xu Xiaoshou..."

Before coming to the Flower World, Su Yin hadn't even remotely considered it would be Xu Xiaoshou. In the God's Remains, Xu Xiaoshou's attainment in the path of Art was not as striking as his myriad strange combat styles. But the fact was, it *was* Xu Xiaoshou! A newcomer with the bearing of an Ancestral God in terms of strategy, combat power, talent, and comprehension—who, upon transcending the Dao and meeting an Ancestor, saw through his disguise, yet extended an invitation... How utterly detestable! The high and mighty Ancestral God seemed to have been pulled down from his divine altar, brought into a situation where he could only confront an ant as an equal. Yet, what he talked about was incredibly tempting.

"What are your thoughts?"

Su Yin sat upright, gazing at him from afar. With that question, there was a subtle hint of equal dialogue. —He had actively lowered his status!

But...

What thoughts do I have? How would I know? I was just bluffing you, Su Yin baby. How could I possibly cooperate with you?

Wait... Cooperation! Ancestral Gods can only cooperate with other Ancestral Gods. Anyone below that level would only be considered to be 'used,' right? Upon realizing this, Xu Xiaoshou felt a flash of inspiration in his mind. His mind spun rapidly. He didn't respond directly to Su Yin's question—in fact, he couldn't and dared not respond directly—instead, he asked himself:

"What thoughts?"

He didn't deny the Demon Ancestor or Ghost Ancestor, which meant there really had been an exchange. Although I don't know who specifically, I know there was! Yes! Exactly! This was enough!

Advancing cautiously, he pressed closer inch by inch. Xu Xiaoshou's aura was not inferior to Su Yin's at all; in fact, he appeared even more confident. On the divine throne, Su Yin's three heads moved simultaneously, his large eyes remaining strained, revealing not the slightest abnormality. But Xu Xiaoshou understood! If just now he had suspected that Su Yin's abnormality might still be an act, seemingly on the first layer but actually on the third, now, with a clearly directed question like "What thoughts," pressed on him... Su Yin, your will is boiling!

"What you think and consider, feel free to speak."

Su Yin on the divine throne became perfectly guarded. Equally cleverly, he didn't respond directly, instead letting Xu Xiaoshou continue to elaborate on the details of his "cooperation" proposal. At the same time, he became emotionless, neither sad nor happy, neither mocking nor sneering. It was too late to try and read anything from his body language or spiritual will now.

However... It was too late! Su Yin baby, it's useless to pretend now!

Boldly hypothesizing and carefully testing, he went from knowing nothing to gradually clarifying and discerning a general outline. Xu Xiaoshou knew he only needed to add one more stake. If he hit it, Su Yin would surely break! This was the final straw, an attempt to end the equal negotiation and tip the scales of victory in his favor!

An attempt? Of course he had to try! Why not try? Even if he was wrong, it would only be a momentary embarrassment, bringing them back to the initial situation—after all, deep down, Xu Xiaoshou had no intention of cooperating with Su Yin. But what if he hit the mark? If Su Yin exposed himself, he would definitely reveal major secrets!

So... The Demon Ancestor? Or the Ghost Ancestor? That was the question.

Xu Xiaoshou stroked his chin, weighing his options for a long time, as if considering whether to reveal the details of the cooperation Su Yin had mentioned. The Flower World was eerily, terrifyingly silent. On the divine throne, Su Yin merely glanced at Xu Xiaoshou, as if whether they cooperated or not, it didn't matter in the least.

Suddenly, Xu Xiaoshou lowered his hand. The three eyes from the sky simultaneously focused on him, almost by unspoken agreement.

"Well?"

In Xu Xiaoshou's mind, Su Yin's voice asking such a question almost materialized. This fellow actually had the patience, merely gazing at him without a word. Smiling. Xu Xiaoshou also smiled. He put on Dao Qiongcang's signature smile, and in a tone suggesting profound secrets, he said firmly, word by word:

"Reverse... Buddha... Pagoda!"

Boom!

The void erupted with a roar. The divine throne in the sky vanished; the three-headed, six-armed Su Yin, eyes wide and furious, instantly appeared before Xu Xiaoshou, consumed by rage. His body was enormous! He swooped down from high above with the crushing might of Mount Tai, as if to instantly crush the ant before him!

Xu Xiaoshou remained perfectly still, still smiling. Su Yin abruptly stopped before him, his eyes spewing furious flames. He had to suppress his fierce rage, painfully roaring with a hoarse voice:

"The Demon Ancestor also made a pact with you!"