Chapter 1788: This Scheme is Bizarre and Easily Changed, Sighing for This Love That Remains Constant Through Life and Death

The Tianji Divine Sect's teachings spread into the Western Regions, and in the deep mountains and ancient forests, a large number of Tianji Puppets were summoned.

Normally, this would undoubtedly stir up heated discussion across the Five Domains.

However, now, only a very small number of people paid attention, such as the Saint Palace and the intelligence agencies of various major powers hidden in the Western Regions.

Most Spirit Cultivators were unaware and uninterested.

What they cared about was still the Guishizhong in the Southern Region, and that shrill "No!" that emanated from it.

"The miserable cry of Emperor Cangsheng?"

"Is he being devoured?"

The main consciousness of Cuiyin from Nanming had already engulfed more than half of the Guishizhong in the Southern Region; the "Heavenly Dog Devouring the Moon" ritual had reached its final step.

Inside the Guishizhong, that consciousness, forced to its limit, seemed to have nowhere to hide.

"No! No, no, no..."

"How can this be? How can this be!"

This panicked voice was utterly inconsistent with Emperor Cangsheng's past demeanor.

It even seemed that the voice itself was not quite like his?

Just as everyone in the Five Domains felt doubt, that extremely panicked voice finally shrieked its last, hysterical cry:

"Xu! Xiao! Shou——"

*Thump.*

The hearts of onlookers everywhere skipped a beat.

A question flashed through everyone's minds, just like the question posed by Feng Zhongzui in front of the Transmitted Dao Mirror:

"Master Shou?"

"What's going on? Why did he call Master Shou's name?"

"That voice, I knew it didn't sound quite like Emperor Cangsheng; it was layered, feeling more like... Cuiyin?"

*Thump!*

When the words "Cuiyin" were uttered, the world fell into a dead silence.

Feng Zhongzui pondered, feeling a chill run down his spine. Reversing the process from the outcome and subverting imagination with reality, he cried out in disbelief:

"I understand!"

"Master Shou, it really is Master Shou!"

"Do you all remember when Master Shou fought Emperor Cangsheng, how he used himself as an arrow, shooting himself from the Central Region to the Eastern Region, and instantly securing victory?"

Yes, Master Shou had fired one arrow.

At that time, the battle was in a stalemate, fiercely contested, when his cunning mind spun, employing a trick like a ram's horn hanging:

He went along with the plan, kneading away the Dead Sea that Ai Cangsheng had transported, performing a rather bizarre magic trick in front of the Five Domains.

It looked like he kneaded the Dead Sea into an arrow for the Evil Sin Bow.

In reality, he kneaded the Dead Sea into himself, turning himself into an arrow and shooting it towards the Eastern Region.

This move was so fantastical that even Emperor Cangsheng couldn't comprehend it, putting him at a disadvantage once.

And it was precisely this opportunity that was seized, beating down a fallen dog, and Emperor Cangsheng was directly struck down until his form and spirit were annihilated.

"But what is the connection between the Cuiyin of Guishizhong and Master Shou, who distorted himself into an arrow?"

Most people, even with Feng Zhongzui's reminder, couldn't react to the specific situation.

Fortunately, Feng Zhongzui was never one to keep people in suspense, and he immediately spat out explanations:

"Cuiyin Puppet!"

"The problem lies with the Cuiyin Puppet!"

"From the very beginning, Master Shou didn't trust Fengtian Shengdi? Or rather, he never underestimated Dao Dianzhu..."

This revelation, like the first sword cracking a mirror, made everyone dizzy. And it had to trace back to the Cuiyin Puppet?

Feng Zhongzui's voice was filled with horror, shock, and an incomparable sense of admiration:

"Everyone, in the Eastern Region, the moment Master Shou handed the Cuiyin Puppet to Fengtian Shengdi—from that moment on, the trap was set."

"That Cuiyin Puppet was never a puppet; it was the arrow of the Evil Sin Bow we saw at that time, it was Master Shou!"

"And that Master Shou was no longer Master Shou, but, like the fake Master Shou formed from the Dead Sea at that time, he was formed from something unknown."

"If you don't believe me, look..."

The main Transmitted Dao Mirror switched to a small shot, showing Master Shou after he gave away the Cuiyin Puppet, acting like an outsider, no longer interfering in the direct battlefield.

He was still in the Eastern Region.

His face was filled with despair.

He even bent down... to scoop up sand!

Why sand?

This time, Feng Zhongzui didn't need to explain; the Five Domains' onlookers understood.

The sand from the Saint God Continent, after flowing from Master Shou's palm on the Ancient War God Platform, the small sand pit that had been scooped was quickly restored by the Ancient War God Platform.

"Unable to interfere!"

Everyone reached this conclusion.

And understood Master Shou's intentions.

Just as the Five Domains previously yearned for Master Shou to react to Dao Dianzhu's actions, he merely made a meaningless gesture of touching the air towards the camera.

What Master Shou wanted was nothing more than to tell the world in the most subtle, inconspicuous, yet intuitively understandable way:

"The Cuiyin Puppet is an external object."

"Those on the arena might briefly touch it, but ultimately they cannot participate in the struggle for external objects outside the arena."

He had told everyone early on that he couldn't interfere with Fengtian Shengdi and Dao Dianzhu's struggle for the Cuiyin Puppet.

Under this habitual thinking, when the main Cuiyin consciousness moved from Nanming to the Land of Sin to devour Ai Cangsheng's residual consciousness,

Everyone subconsciously believed that Master Shou couldn't interfere.

After all, he wasn't an Ancestral God.

"But Master Shou never left the main battlefield!"

Feng Zhongzui spoke with increasing clarity and excitement, finally gesticulating wildly as he said:

"He wasn't unable to interfere; he was utterly omnipresent!"

"He kneaded himself into the Cuiyin Puppet, handed himself to Fengtian Shengdi, and Fengtian Shengdi was completely unaware!"

Fengtian Shengdi, Feng Yujin, was stunned.

He was still floating on the surface of Nanming Sea.

He couldn't even distinguish whether the little girl's head was the Cuiyin Puppet or if Dao Qiongcang, who provoked him wanting to be blown up, was the Cuiyin Puppet.

Now, someone told him:

That Cuiyin Puppet wasn't a Cuiyin Puppet; it was Xu Xiaoshou, who handed the Cuiyin Puppet to him personally?

Feng Zhongzui continued his monologue, completely out of control:

"Not only was Fengtian Shengdi unaware, but Dao Dianzhu was also deceived."

"Dao Dianzhu even used the Cuiyin Puppet, which Master Shou had transformed into, to become the little girl's head, and Dao Dianzhu was completely unaware!"

At this moment, across the world, Tianji Diviners of various identities, directly or indirectly watching the Transmitted Dao Mirror, all showed a hint of gloom in their expressions.

Feng Zhongzui was clearly unaware of how hurtful his words were, praising one and stepping on another, simply because he was genuinely astonished:

"In the end, when this Cuiyin Puppet was shattered, Master Shou must have completed another 'transformation'."

"At the same instant, he switched from the Cuiyin Puppet form to... Guishizhong!"

Upon hearing this, even the most foolish person's face betrayed a look of astonishment.

But soon, someone noticed something was amiss.

Guishizhong wasn't released by Master Shou!

This was Dao Dianzhu using the withered branch of the Childbirth Saint Plant, somehow throwing out the Cuiyin technique sealed within.

Fundamentally, Feng Zhongzui's interpretation was wrong!

—Was it really wrong?

Feng Zhongzui might seem like just Feng Zhongzui, but behind him was an entire Feng Family battle analysis team, as well as the shrewd eye of Feng Tingchen, the previous generation's Seventh Sword Immortal.

He was almost simultaneously shocked and numbed, understanding as he spoke:

"Indeed, Guishizhong originated from the withered Childbirth branch, emitted by Dao Dianzhu, and is essentially a Cuiyin technique."

"But perhaps Master Shou's initial layout was a bit weaker, yet in terms of adaptability and mastery of techniques, could Dao Dianzhu still surpass him?"

"Difficult!"

Swallowing with difficulty, Feng Zhongzui spoke eloquently:

"I'd say..."

"Everyone! Master Shou must have instantly devoured Dao Dianzhu's Guishizhong with Boundless Silence Son, and then mimicked himself into the clouds of Guishizhong!"

"Does that mean the main Cuiyin consciousness born from Nanming was never the Cuiyin we thought it was, but a Cuiyin consciousness imitated by Master Shou?"

"And that 'main Cuiyin consciousness' devouring the Southern Region Guishizhong was essentially not Cuiyin devouring Emperor Cangsheng's residual consciousness, but Master Shou devouring Cuiyin's... pollution of Emperor Cangsheng's residual consciousness?"

At this point, even though Feng Zhongzui's explanation was not ambiguous, the Five Domains' onlookers felt their minds were not keeping up.

Fake?

All fake?

Great Illusion without Void, Great Thought as Usual... This time, Master Shou didn't overtly use Illusion Sword Art, but created a dream for the Five Domains' people, even Dao Dianzhu and Cuiyin, with reality itself?

Even Feng Zhongzui, who had finished explaining the cause and effect, still felt a hint of disbelief in his heart.

But speculation was useless, so he could only shift the Transmitted Dao Mirror's image to the Guishizhong in the Southern Region, which was almost completely submerged by the "main Cuiyin consciousness."

"No..."

That shrill cry was still there, vaguely becoming very weak, seemingly accompanied by some cursing and muttering.

Before this, everyone thought it was Emperor Cangsheng unable to bear it any longer.

After this, everyone clearly heard that it was Cuiyin's voice.

If it was still unbelievable...

Master Shou's voice was also there!

It also emanated from the Southern Region Guishizhong, with a hearty, comfortable sound and ecstatic shouting:

"Scream!"

"Cuiyin, scream!"

"In the Divine Ruins, you were my defeated opponent. In the Flower World, you dared not form an alliance with me."

"Now, what are you thinking? So stubborn that you've come to oppose me again... Oh, is it that one stumble doesn't hurt enough, so you have to grind your face against my feet again until it's smooth?"

*Crunch! Crunch!*

The "main Cuiyin consciousness" still maintained its identity, just a large mass of viscous, liquid-like purple mist.

But Master Shou completely stopped hiding, eating voraciously.

Because at this moment, the partial Cuiyin consciousness in the Southern Region Guishizhong had been completely devoured by Boundless Silence Son—the dagger was revealed at the end of the scroll!

"Art of Transformation..."

When Master Shou personally confirmed all the conjectures, Feng Zhongzui's heart was a mix of emotions, unsure how to express himself.

He merely unconsciously repeated that murmur, marveling at the astonishing Art of Transformation:

"One person can derive countless sons, making it hard to distinguish good from evil... Now, he has grown wild, no longer limited to deriving sons, but even deriving techniques?"

"This is Master Shou's Art of Transformation!"

"Emperor Cangsheng couldn't see through it, nor could Dao Dianzhu, and it even deceived Cuiyin's residual consciousness? Oh no..."

At this point, Feng Zhongzui suddenly realized.

When the Nanming Guishizhong arrived, Ai Cangsheng's residual consciousness in the Southern Region's Land of Sin clearly resisted strongly.

Could it be that it wasn't Emperor Cangsheng resisting, but Cuiyin fearing Master Shou's approach?

"Then, what about Master Shou, the one in the Eastern Region?"

The Transmitted Dao Mirror immediately switched its view.

The "scooping sand Shou" in the Eastern Region, still lamenting, seemed to sense the gaze upon him.

He shook and twisted, shedding his disguise, transforming into a... wildly dancing sword, a black sword!

The sword seemed to be seeking commendation.

It could indeed feel the attention, because fame was converging.

"Yingyingying—"

When this sword cry emanated from the Transmitted Dao Mirror, the Five Domains fell into complete silence.

After a long time, Feng Zhongzui finally cradled his head, coming back to his senses:

"Cang Ku?!"

A black sword, who else could it be but Cang Ku?

With Cang Ku's usual behavior, could it actually restrain its temper and not make a mistake?

Did Master Shou actually feel at ease letting Cang Ku impersonate him, or was it that under his Art of Transformation, Cang Ku couldn't be himself at all?

Or perhaps...

"Master Shou is good at acting, and so is Cang Ku?"

Feng Zhongzui no longer knew how to comment. "This First Sword Immortal and sword are simply in cahoots... uh, in a mess... uh, the same type?"

Just as the smart people in the Five Domains finally realized.

Xu Xiaoshou had indeed used a bizarre trick to fool Dao Qiongcang and Cuiyin once more.

After the "flamboyant old Daoist" reminded him about the "Cuiyin Puppet" and he had previously received a warning from Ai Cangsheng to "be careful of Dao Qiongcang,"

Realizing that the flamboyant old Daoist might be in cahoots with Cuiyin, how could Xu Xiaoshou be unaffected?

As for Feng Yujin...

He was indeed just a pawn kept in the dark from beginning to end.

From the moment he handed the "Cuiyin Puppet" to Fengtian Shengdi, Xu Xiaoshou's only headache was that the power of the Sealed God Coffin was indeed very strong, almost sealing him.

Fortunately, Boundless Silence Son could devour, and the bizarre trick could transform; he made no mistakes throughout the entire process.

As for whether Feng Yujin could see through his bizarre trick, Xu Xiaoshou never considered it from beginning to end.

Wasn't that just worrying about nothing?

And finally, when he successfully tricked even Dao Qiongcang, Xu Xiaoshou confirmed the characteristic of the bizarre trick after its distorted transformation—it was real!

If Dao Qiongcang had the Way of Intent in the super-Dao transformation, perhaps he could have seen through a thing or two?

There was no "if."

Dao Qiongcang was only the Way of Memory.

He was more skilled at using roundabout ways to cause trouble.

In terms of direct combat ability, he was no match for the battle-type Ten Venerable Seats, and the Way of Memory was even less complete than the Way of Intent Disk.

From the moment Xu Xiaoshou understood everything and decided to set up the scheme, Dao Qiongcang was merely a piece in his game.

Knowing that he wanted to stand out, he wanted to transcend.

Under absolute control, don't even think about it!

"Burp."

Wandering freely in Guishizhong, strolling through the clouds of the Land of Sin.

After searching the vicinity for Cuiyin's consciousness and devouring it all with Boundless Silence Son, Xu Xiaoshou stopped.

He had not yet returned to his original form, still maintaining the viscous misty state.

Around him, besides his own mist, faint, dim starlight occasionally appeared, like shadows.

Those were not his.

Those were Ai Cangsheng's residual consciousness.

"Ai Cangsheng!"

Devouring the Cuiyin pollution.

Inevitably, he also swallowed a few mouthfuls of Ai Cangsheng's residual consciousness.

In the end, when calling out Emperor Cangsheng's full name, the only feedback Xu Xiaoshou could feel was like the faint fluttering of a dying autumn cicada's wings, infinitesimally small.

"Hoo..."

He seemed to hear an extremely faint, almost imperceptible breath, like an old man on his deathbed, desperately trying to swallow a breath to gain a few final words before expiring.

The outcome had probably ended in failure.

"You don't need to move, I'll do it."

Xu Xiaoshou was no longer the helpless self of his past.

Since seeing Ai Cangsheng in the past and deciding to ally with him, he had held the thought of helping if he could, and at worst, destroying the Ancient War God Platform.

At present, the Five Domains only saw the Way of Intent Disk spinning in the clouds, and the Void World being constructed... remaining motionless.

"Master Shou seems to be trying to communicate with Emperor Cangsheng?" Feng Zhongzui wondered, "Did he fail?"

The Void World was empty.

Ai Cangsheng had not connected.

If forcibly pulled, his few remaining remnants of life force might also vanish due to the "ticket fee" required to enter the Void World.

Xu Xiaoshou was silent.

Indeed, at the last moment, he suffered Cuiyin's pollution, and his state plummeted, unable to fully return to normal.

He thought and thought, then stopped maintaining the bizarre trick.

"Huo."

The void shimmered.

The sky-obscuring dark clouds suddenly vanished, transforming into a figure in black robes, with long hair flowing.

"Cang Ku."

Xu Xiaoshou said nothing else, reaching out a hand.

"Ying—"

A sword cry echoed from the East.

Feng Zhongzui's expression shifted in surprise, and the Transmitted Dao Mirror turned in time.

One saw Cang Ku's sound-moving, a sword coming from the East, its name riding the wind, finally entering Master Shou's hand.

"So fast..."

In an instant!

Just an instant!

Master Shou didn't even issue any command.

Cang Ku and he were so telepathically connected that it could automatically perform spatial leaps, even over such a long distance?

"What does Master Shou want to do?"

No one knew what Master Shou intended by recalling Cang Ku.

And the figure in black robes standing high in the Southern Region did not draw his sword; after taking control of Cang Ku, he merely clasped it backward, resting it against his elbow.

The wind whistled high in the sky, and Master Shou's black robes fluttered.

Unsure what he was thinking, Feng Zhongzui manipulated the Transmitted Dao Mirror to pull back to a long shot.

"It's snowing?"

Specks of white drifted down from high above, momentarily transforming the Southern Region into a celestial court.

"No..."

"It's not snow, it's white plum blossoms."

Feng Zhongzui quickly ascertained something, and when he zoomed in on a "snowflake," it wasn't a snowflake, but a plum blossom.

He narrowed his eyes, deep in thought.

"White plum... Falling Petal Realm?"

As he thought this, the Transmitted Dao Mirror's image changed again.

The physical concept blurred, and a illusory world appeared—it was indeed the Falling Petal Realm, capable of inverting reality and illusion, no doubt.

"To meet Emperor Cangsheng, Master Shou inverted the sky of the entire Southern Region, just for even a single wisp of Emperor Cangsheng's residual consciousness..."

This illusory, dim sky was scattered with specks of starlight.

Master Shou held his sword, treading upon a white sea of mist, his expression showing no trace of joy or sorrow.

He let out a long sigh, after an unknown amount of time, and with a sweep of his sleeve,

A gust of wind blew, and specks of starlight converged, outlining an extremely vague figure of Emperor Cangsheng, so transparent that even his form and face were almost invisible.

But the world instantly recognized him!

Because in his eyes, Dao patterns flowed, shining brightly—the Eyes of the Great Dao were incredibly clear!

Ai Cangsheng was ethereal by the cloud's edge.

Xu Xiaoshou stood on the sea of mist.

High above the Southern Region, white plum blossoms gently drifted, and though nothing was visible, the Transmitted Dao Mirror showed everything with perfect clarity.

"Woo—"

Suddenly, the heavens and earth let out a mournful cry.

This time it was not Cuiyin's eerie sound; on the contrary, those who heard it felt an overwhelming sadness in their hearts, involuntarily shedding tears.

"I..."

Feng Zhongzui raised his hand in a daze, wiping his cheek; it was wet.

He was stunned.

Before he could react...

"Rumble!"

The heavens and earth shook.

The towering totems standing on all sides vanished into the ground, the silver Dao chains enclosing the battlefield disappeared, and the Ancient War God Platform was gone forever.

His heart contracted.

It was only at this moment that everyone realized something.

"Emperor Cangsheng..."

In the Transmitted Dao Mirror's image, the illusory and blurred Emperor Cangsheng was so indistinct that even his expression couldn't be seen clearly.

His lips seemed to twitch a few times, but it wasn't obvious.

He seemed to have exhausted all his strength, wanting to say something, perhaps having a final, most important message.

The Five Domains were silent.

Everyone was waiting.

But after a long, long time, in the heavens and earth, within the Transmitted Dao Mirror, no sound was heard, not even a single word.

"Hoo..."

A gust of wind blew, Emperor Cangsheng disintegrated, the Falling Petal Realm disappeared with him, and Master Shou closed his eyes heavily.

"No need to thank me."

He spread his hand.

Upon his palm rested an ancient seal.

He carefully placed Cang Ku, then reached out, picked up the ancient seal, and put it away.

Only then did everyone see that beneath the ancient seal, on his palm, lay two tranquil, spirit-filled eyes with flowing Dao patterns—they had been protected all along.

Xu Xiaoshou let out a soft laugh, then pressed his lips together.

His mouth twitched twice, and in the end, all he could utter was another sigh:

"What is love in this world? Two cycles of life and death, yet unwilling to rest in peace."