Chapter 1781: Crossing the Time River to Recall Past Days, Seeking the Self, Sword Pointing to All Living Beings

What is a space-time leap?

Before encountering Chong Yin, Xu Xiaoshou believed that a space-time leap was essentially the first realm of Phantom Swordplay. Now, he felt that such a "space-time leap" should be rephrased as "space jump." After all, it didn't truly achieve the concept of "time travel." Of course, a master of this sword art could indeed achieve a brief temporal leap by compressing space. However, for those not involved in the Dao of Time, a few breaths would be the limit. To truly achieve "time travel," like Chong Yin did back then, forcibly returning to the God's Relic in the Flower World from over a month prior, and planting a technique in the past to alter future karma – that was incredibly difficult!

"Is it difficult?"

For outsiders, certainly. But now, Xu Xiaoshou no longer thought so, upon self-reflection. Driven by intent, utilizing space, supplemented by the Time Disc, and then performing a space-time leap with Cang Ku, replicating Chong Yin's technique from back then. This sword was no longer Phantom Swordplay. Instead, it was a pure technique, where Xu Xiaoshou forcibly sent a wisp of his consciousness to the past of this very place. Back to the Eastern Region! To the exact moment when Ai Cangsheng was holding the rag doll! All answers could be asked at that time—if Ai Cangsheng could move.

"Go!"

Without hesitation, he unleashed a sword strike. He reasoned that even if the attempt failed, he would only lose a wisp of his divided consciousness, which he could recover with a little rest. Cang Ku slashed through the air. That wisp of consciousness seemed to melt into the world like ice and snow, completely gone.

"Failed?"

Xu Xiaoshou was momentarily stunned. Logically, it shouldn't have failed. Although he hadn't experimented, based on his fundamental understanding derived from the various Dao Discs, he estimated the success rate of this technique to be no less than 70%. This wasn't even about changing the Flower World into the God's Relic; it was merely a slight temporal modification within a few yards of the surrounding area. The Five Regions Preaching Mirror had no idea what Xu Xiaoshou was planning. At this moment, everyone's attention was focused on the cloud of Chong Yin's consciousness that had been spat back into the Southern Region by the Technique Hound. Xu Xiaoshou's presence, by comparison, was negligible.

"Buzz!"

Not long after, his mind suddenly trembled. Xu Xiaoshou, still hesitant over the lost sword strike, suddenly saw a scene invisible to his eyes. Blackness, chaotic blades, shimmering light... It was very blurry, like peeking at a corner of the world through a narrow, confined view, unable to see the full picture. But based on past experience, Xu Xiaoshou quickly determined that these were temporal fragments!

"I'm in!"

That wisp of consciousness had clearly been sent and was currently "crossing the river." During the process, fragments occasionally flashed out and back, bringing a continuous stream of jumbled and blurry images. There were mountain scenes, water colors, fireworks, and human settlements... "Yo." A young deer passed by, letting out a clear, piercing cry. "Rustle." Footsteps passed by, but only four pairs of feet were visible, no figures. "Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, patter, patter..." More often, it was the sound of wind in deserted places, or simple, pure rain scenes. But there was nothing of the immediate surroundings, no Ai Cangsheng. It seemed to require a lot of time to find the past temporal space of the surrounding area? Even with this first step successful, whether he could ultimately achieve his desired effect and see the past Ai Cangsheng—was that up to fate?

He couldn't trust fate! Time waited for no one, and Xu Xiaoshou dared not let Chong Yin fully recover, especially when it was suspected that Dao Qiongcang was interfering with the situation.

"Space!"

"Time!"

Two great Dao Discs unfolded beneath his feet. Space was primary, time secondary, with the insufficient parts temporarily supplemented by the Time Ancestor Staff.

"Anchor!"

Xu Xiaoshou hadn't comprehended much of the Dao of Time. Even how to find past time nodes, among the myriad identical "past nodes," he could only cross the river by feeling for stones. However, his Space Dao Disc was nearing transcend-Daoization. He quickly locked onto the current surrounding space nodes, using them as a base to search the past. With such an anchor, the wisp of consciousness undergoing the space-time leap, after jumping out of the temporal fragments, finally encountered scenes that were no longer chaotic. They unified into the scenery of this very place! There were the springs, summers, autumns, and winters of this place, its days and nights. Sometimes cattle and horses passed by, sometimes it was desolate and uninhabited. Some had engaged in great battles here, others in... outdoor encounters.

Before long, as thousands of images flashed, and a familiar face appeared, Xu Xiaoshou reacted with extreme speed, stopping his thoughts. "This is it!" The traversal felt as if a thousand years had passed. In reality, within the long river of time, this search process was as short as an instant.

"Ai Cangsheng!"

Indeed, the past scene that the wisp of consciousness, sent by Cang Ku across the river, now saw in this desolate area around him, was the very moment when Ai Cangsheng had used the technique of feigned death to escape the Extremity Sword of Unification, fleeing to this spot in the Eastern Region.

"It's done..."

In that instant, Xu Xiaoshou's heart filled with eagerness. Although the scene wasn't perfectly clear, being able to see the past in the present utterly shattered all his previous understanding of "spirit refining" and "techniques." Most importantly, this wasn't achieved by borrowing anyone's power; it was purely something he wanted to do, did, and succeeded at!

"Get closer..."

"Get closer, communicate, and then connect with him..."

Xu Xiaoshou struggled to manipulate his consciousness, which felt almost exhausted, but it was like trying to put out a forest fire with a cup of water. He realized that the second step was successful; he could see the past Ai Cangsheng. But if he didn't go there himself, he probably couldn't interfere with the past, only watch "history" advance from past to future?

"So, this is why Chong Yin had to personally intervene when interfering with the Flower World and my will?"

Xu Xiaoshou pondered, subconsciously wanting to send most of his consciousness to the location of the wisp that was undergoing space-time travel. He broke out in a cold sweat! "What if something goes wrong there? What if what I'm thinking right now is someone's... Chong Yin's guidance?" "If I die there, won't I be unable to return?" Xu Xiaoshou dared not act recklessly and chose to summon Jing Ren, instructing:

"You, go there."

Jing Ren's face instantly turned green. Jing Ren didn't need to speak; Xu Xiaoshou understood his thoughts, as they were his own. So he changed to a gentle tone, forced a smile, and commanded:

"It's fun, hurry!"

With a shift of consciousness, it was like suddenly poking his head out of a narrow underground passage into a bright, vast, and cool world. Through Jing Ren's eyes, Xu Xiaoshou truly saw "the past" from a God's-eye view: himself on the sea, Ai Cangsheng on land, and the tense, confrontational atmosphere. As well as Ai Cangsheng ending his daze, turning his head to look at the sea, and calmly speaking a sentence to his past self on the water:

"Apologies, I was handling some private matters..."

That slightly familiar sentence sent shivers down his spine. How to describe his current feeling? Strange! Profound! Thrilling! At that moment, Jing Ren, whose consciousness had entered the past, felt his very soul begin to tremble. Such a unique experience, in all the world, perhaps only Chong Yin in the Flower World had experienced it once. Even the main bodies under the Ancestral Gods had not. I, Jing Ren, am the first! And on the desolate, post-battle ruined ground, gazing at the surrounding wreckage, then comparing it to the scene through Jing Ren's eyes where the mountains and waters were still intact...

"Whew!"

Xu Xiaoshou also let out a long breath. He truly felt that there was a fundamental difference in strength between himself and his past self. Everything he desired could be achieved! Xu Xiaoshou didn't dare to switch to the past himself, so he tried to suppress his and Jing Ren's unease, transmitting his thoughts:

"Calm down, communicate..."

In the past scene, his past self, standing on the sea, had clearly noticed the rag doll in Ai Cangsheng's hand. Xu Xiaoshou watched his past self in a daze, his mind flashing back to what he had been thinking at that moment.

"Chong Yin's puppet!"

He commanded Jing Ren to transmit the answer as a wave of thought before his past self could draw a conclusion. There was no ripple, no effect. Jing Ren wasn't Chong Yin, so he couldn't "intervene"? Just as Xu Xiaoshou was feeling disappointed, something unexpected happened. His past self, who should have been verbally sparring with Ai Cangsheng across the sea and then resorting to action after no result, suddenly frowned.

"Hmm?"

An Intent Disc suddenly unfolded beneath his feet, and he looked up at the sky! As soon as the Intent Disc activated, his past self seemed to connect with Jing Ren's will, as if a tenuous communication was possible!

"What?"

Xu Xiaoshou was startled by his past self. His Intent Disc was transcend-Daoized, and his memory was excellent; he knew that his past self had absolutely not made such a sudden move—not even a small one! That meant... His past self had detected the "strangeness" after he dispatched Jing Ren's consciousness to the past, and consequently had this reaction that transcended history?

"Am I that strong?"

This was truly an unexpected development! Xu Xiaoshou had only seen similar oddities when Chong Yin took him to the God's Relic in the Flower World, where Dao Qiongcang could achieve them. But then again. Dao Qiongcang's Dao of Memory was transcend-Daoized, and his own Intent Disc was transcend-Daoized; they shared a similar profound effect. So, what about Ai Cangsheng? Just as Jing Ren was about to shift his attention elsewhere, the past Xu Xiaoshou spoke:

"What scoundrel dares hide their head and show their tail! Daring to perform concealment techniques in front of me, aren't you afraid of making a fool of yourself? Hurry up and get out here to die!"

Xu Xiaoshou was stunned. What was the situation now? I, was threatened by myself?

"No, no, no..."

That wasn't even the point. The point was, had he always sounded like that when he spoke? Wasn't this clearly the tone of a buffoon, someone who should be thoroughly educated by the protagonist, Emperor Cangsheng, until they couldn't take care of themselves? Xu Xiaoshou, standing on the ruined post-battlefield, flushed at his past self's words, his toes unconsciously curling into the ground.

Communicate! Communicate quickly! Don't let that fellow spew any more arrogance, who could stand it? Jing Ren could only comply; he was truly too humble. He was even so humble that he dared not provoke his past main body, greeting him in what he considered a very polite manner:

"Hello, Xu Xiaoshou, I am you."

The past Xu Xiaoshou chuckled at the sound, as if mocking someone for being even more abstract than himself. He couldn't see that abstract fellow, yet he still maintained an air of unparalleled arrogance, calmly retorting:

"Then... I am your father."

You cursed me! No, I cursed myself! Jing Ren was speechless from the insults; he didn't even want to complete the mission then, he just wanted to go home. You are me. You are the main body. If you are my father, then who am I, and who is the main body? It's too confusing, this is too confusing. Why am I so polite, yet you, whether past or future, are so insane? Main body, oh main body, now you know what kind of illness you have—a serious illness that no normal person can communicate with!

Xu Xiaoshou, watching his past self make arrogant remarks from an outsider's perspective, pursed his lips and chose to remain silent. Jing Ren, of course, couldn't just end the mission and leave so easily. But being caught by his past main body, he couldn't get away anytime soon. He didn't want to die, after all, his main body at that time didn't have much difference in strength compared to the main body after the battle—both were capable of instantly killing Jing Ren! After much thought, any self-proving would fall into a self-proving trap: "How do I prove I'm not a bad person?" Aside from not explaining, only the intervention of a third party could resolve the dilemma of the self-proving trap. Jing Ren was very clever and quickly thought of a very proper workaround, immediately transmitting a friendly thought:

"Hello, Xu Xiaoshou, I am you from the future."

The past Xu Xiaoshou, hearing this, subconsciously twitched the corner of his mouth again. He always liked that annoying lopsided smile, but this time, halfway through... His body suddenly stiffened. His pupils dilated rapidly. If one looked carefully, they could even see the pores on his skin opening and his hairs standing on end. At this moment, Xu Xiaoshou found it amusing. He could even imagine how terrified his past self must have been after hearing that sentence!

"Hello?"

"He'd say 'hello'?"

Anyone who saw or heard someone suddenly appear claiming to be their future self would surely react with suspicion, right? But he could also speak that language only he knew... Xu Xiaoshou hadn't really imagined the subsequent development of such a situation. Therefore, he knew that his past self had absolutely no coping strategy at this moment. And knowing himself best, Xu Xiaoshou understood even more clearly that what he feared most was being unprepared!

"What a strange feeling..."

He stood on the ruined battlefield, observing his past self's helplessness in that moment, experiencing it from the perspective of a future person. The perspective of the person involved was already terrifying enough. So, the perspective of a future person was so... fun?

"But if I can even accept planar travel, how can I not accept a present self and a future self?"

Xu Xiaoshou knew how high his acceptance level was. He continued to apply strong medicine, giving his past self no chance to question or attack, and had Jing Ren transmit:

"You're not wrong, 'Hello' is that 'hello.' And I'm not actually you from the future; I am your second true body from the future."

Second True Body! Xu Xiaoshou knew even better the weight of these four words. He knew that in the Five Regions, Jing Ren was referred to or introduced as an 'external avatar,' 'semi-saint avatar,' 'clone,' 'false body,' and so on! The intimate, specific, and accurate term "Second True Body" was known only to him. It would definitely break down his past self's psychological defenses, unify their fronts, and allow them to question Ai Cangsheng together.

But this time, Xu Xiaoshou saw his past self's face devoid of joy or sorrow—what a good act he was putting on... oh, I was. It didn't matter, it was all an act! The more panicked he was inside, the calmer he pretended to be. It was simply that he no longer dared to let anyone see that his soul was boiling. His past self remained silent, so Jing Ren delivered the final critical blow:

"My name is Jing Ren, please try to treat me as a person, thank you."

If there was a chance that "Second True Body" could have been blurted out, the fleeting thought during the naming of Jing Ren should have been something he'd mentioned to no one afterwards. After all, the secret of Jing Ren's name and his tragic life, utterly contrary to his name, were extremely private personal matters. That was enough! He was enough to shake his past self's very core!

Xu Xiaoshou watched with anticipation, and soon saw his past self relax. He raised his sword, slowly fixed his gaze on Ai Cangsheng in the distance, and spoke words he had never said in his memory:

"Ai-dog, I never thought you'd possess such mastery in the Dao of Illusions..."

His expression turned severe, he lifted Cang Ku in his hand, and suddenly chose to violently attack:

"Ai-dog, take this sword!"