Chapter 1826: Qian Beginning

Three pieces of advice, three shocks.

The “He” in the first piece of advice undoubtedly refers to Yaozu, or perhaps should it be called “Goupi Gaoyao”?

The Way of Life, transcending all other Daos, not only failed to eliminate the risk of “seeing the Ancestor” when meeting Guizu, but instead delivered the initiative into Yaozu’s hands?

“Ancestral Gods are truly disgusting.”

But then Xu Xiaoshou’s heart settled. Since Yaozu’s choice was Bei Huai, and Bei Huai’s radiance was so dazzling, compared to that, he was merely the light of an ant, not worthy of mention.

Yaozu must want to see, and be able to see, many more people.

“I may not be in the first sequence…”

There might be obstacles ahead, but worrying about them would only shackle him further, trapping him in a predicament. He simply had to move forward.

Xu Xiaoshou temporarily put aside the first piece of advice, but was again puzzled by Guizu’s subsequent words: “Hua Changdeng must not die, why?”

He truly couldn’t figure this out.

Not to mention that Hua Changdeng’s combat power was such that he wouldn’t die easily, Guizu, as an ancestral god who could potentially be “deprived of his Dao” by Hua Changdeng, actually advised to “protect him.” Is my brother Gui so foolish? Does he not understand the principle of nurturing a tiger to court disaster?

Xu Xiaoshou really wanted to pull out his Sickle of Death, forcibly summon Guizu’s consciousness, and ask him if his head had been kicked by a donkey.

He really pulled out the Sickle of Death.

This sickle was exquisitely crafted, and its power was extremely pure. If Shizu’s Shadow Staff, though gifted by Kong Yuhen, used Shizu’s power to protect himself, then the Sickle of Death should be equivalent, or even superior. After all, Xu Xiaoshou could even sense Guizu’s understanding of the Dao of “Samsara” on it; it wouldn’t be difficult to master it with some time.

But after searching for Guizu’s consciousness for a moment, there was no result.

This sickle was merely a sickle, this object was merely an object. It was full of spirituality, but had no intelligence whatsoever, and even showed signs of suppressing the formation of “life.”

“Is it also afraid of becoming Yaozu’s contingency, so it only gave power, and dared not bestow intelligence or vitality…” Xu Xiaoshou pondered.

Unable to ask for a detailed explanation of the advice, he could only set it aside, thinking he might get some answers by asking Ba Zun’an later.

Then, he considered the third piece of advice: Do not go to Ganshi.

This was quite disheartening!

“Brother Gui, your advice came a bit late…”

Ganshi Emperor Realm.

Jinren died, which saddened Xu Xiaoshou. But the sadness wasn’t overwhelming, because Jinren had split into two early on, advancing on two paths: one half went to Beiming, while the other went to Ganshi.

This meant that Jinren was still alive.

And at that time, to prevent the two halves of Jinren from being traced back to each other, the connection between them was completely severed. Each half of Jinren maintained only a tenuous, single-line connection with the main body, like a lotus root whose fibers are still connected even after it is broken.

Therefore, Jinren in the Ganshi Emperor Realm, in a state of “active shielding,” was unaware of everything that happened to the Jinren in the Beiming Emperor Realm. Xu Xiaoshou dared not transmit the events of Beiming to Jinren in Ganshi, because this half also had the possibility of being caught and soul-searched—he was also in “active shielding.”

“Ganshi, truly beautiful.”

In the Ganshi Emperor Realm, Jinren was still enjoying the scenery, in a very beautiful mood.

Ganshi Emperor Realm was truly a place imbued with spiritual essence and picturesque beauty! Just by casually ascending, Jinren arrived at a valley. The valley was not high, with lush green pine and cypress trees, the valley floor was a riot of colorful flowers, and a babbling brook flowed by. The banks were jagged and uneven, and fearless fish swam towards him, as if begging for food.

“It’s simply exhilarating…”

Jinren breathed in the fresh, sweet air, and unceremoniously killed all the fish that had gathered around him. Because these might be Daocang’s eyes. Although he felt they were just ordinary fish, the Ganshi Emperor Realm was Daocang’s lair, and he had to be wary of any living creature with eyes.

“How could such a spiritually vibrant place nurture such a cunning and treacherous person as that flashy old Daoist?”

He walked out of the valley, followed the stream, and came to a forest lake. A misty vapor hung over the lake, yet it didn’t obscure one’s vision, merely adding a mysterious veil to the beautiful scenery. It was as if what lay ahead was not a lake, but a vast river or sea. And where the water met the sky, and the stars were rising, was the end of the Dao, a place where heaven and earth intertwined.

“It’s truly beautiful!”

Jinren had never seen such a beautiful sight. Ganshi’s sky had no sun, no moon; it was a magnificent starry sky formed by countless stars, their light replacing the brilliance of the sun and moon, ancient and eternal. This was a blessed land of the Dao.

Whether it was the previous valley or the current forest lake, Jinren gained something with every step he took. He felt that if he just paused and sat cross-legged amidst such beauty, he could gain enlightenment, perhaps even surpassing his main body.

“The most sacred place for seeking the Dao is Ganshi.”

He came to this conclusion, but did not truly sit down cross-legged to seek enlightenment. Because he came to Ganshi with a mission: at the very least, he had to contaminate at least one memory imprint of Daocang in his lair.

“Oh no, why did I only just remember the main task?”

Jinren slapped his forehead, cursing his main body for not reminding him. Was the Jinren who went to Beiming more important than himself?

He was about to step out with his Yi Dao Disk to weave the flashy old Daoist’s "urine traces."

A rustling sound came from the trees by the forest lake. Someone stepped on a dry branch, making a sound, and Jinren became alert.

“Who?”

A hunched figure emerged. It was a white-haired old man, hunched over, carrying a large bundle of firewood, with a worn small axe tucked at his waist.

“Die!”

Jinren only asked one question, then pointed a sword finger. He couldn’t let anyone suspected of being Daocang come out to “chat” with him and ruin his plan.

The sword light streaked across the sky. Just as it was about to reach him, the old man twisted his ankle and stumbled. The sword light didn’t pierce his heart, only severed the rope binding the firewood on his shoulder.

“Ouch.”

The old man cried out in pain and fell to the ground, the firewood scattered. He lay on the ground as if crippled, looking at the bloody wound on his shoulder, his face filled with sorrow, lamenting: “Life is rough, and people’s hearts are unpredictable. We are both cultivators, I am seventy years old and have accomplished nothing, and yet you won’t even spare an old man?”

Jinren sneered.

Which respectable old man could avoid a ten-stage sword finger? Which respectable old man, after being attacked, wouldn’t be terrified but instead sigh like that?

“I’m hitting you, you riddle-monger!”

Jinren even deliberately abandoned the thought of delving into the old man’s words. Long-range attacks wouldn’t work, so he closed in with a punch, intending to smash the old man’s head.

“Alas…”

The old man did not avoid it, his eyes filled with tears, and at the moment of death, he could only sigh: “The path of seeking the Dao is harder than ascending to the heavens! I have toiled my whole life, chopping firewood for over seventy years, with only twenty-three years left to achieve the Dao of ‘planting a tree for ten years, cultivating a person for a hundred years,’ and yet today…”

His head exploded into a splatter of blood.

As it abruptly ended, blood and flesh splattered, covering Jinren’s face. This punch felt like it landed on a mortal, with no sensation of hitting anything hard, and no defense was triggered. The old man was dead.

“Did I make a mistake?”

Jinren’s face showed hesitation. His fist was covered in blood and flesh, and he felt like he had mistakenly killed a good person. Were all the people in Ganshi cultivators? Was he too cautious, and thus went astray, becoming overly suspicious or even demonized?

“No, it’s all Daocang’s doing, or Daoganshi’s doing. He must have discovered I’ve arrived…”

Jinren quickly cleared his mind of杂思, but his heart couldn’t help but ripple a few times. Next time he met someone, perhaps he could ask a thing or two about Ganshi beforehand, to gain some understanding? All that came were falsehoods; only what his eyes saw was real!

Jinren took a deep breath, set the matter aside, then scanned the forest environment left and right, and with a snap of his fingers, scattered the old man’s ashes. He relaxed and continued his journey, wanting to gather more information about the Ganshi Emperor Realm while he was still alive.

The forest path was winding.

Jinren did not take the usual route. He turned back, thought for a moment, then waded directly into the water, treading on the waves, and went deep into the misty forest lake.

“Swish, swish…”

The sound of water lasted for a while, until he reached the middle of the forest lake and saw a small island in the center of the lake, as well as a pavilion on the island.

Jinren suddenly awoke.

No, I didn’t come to Ganshi to sightsee, but to contaminate the imprints. His heart chilled, and he hurriedly called out to his main body. The main body responded promptly: “Don’t panic, keep moving forward.”

Jinren’s heart settled; it was good that he hadn’t lost contact.

With a spin of his foot, the Yi Dao Disk was about to be activated. Just as Jinren was about to continue his mission, a sharp shout came from the small island in the center of the lake: “Hah!”

It was a little girl’s voice. Accompanying the shout, a strong wind blew from the pavilion, making the water plants in the forest lake sway and the lake ripples churn.

“Someone else?”

Jinren held his breath. This time, he didn’t attack directly. Instead, he immediately activated “Disappearance Art” and “Solitary Existence.” With this combination, even Daocang wouldn’t be able to see him. As long as it wasn’t a calamity from the heavens, he could spy on whatever he wanted. In short, he would first gather some information about the Ganshi Emperor Realm.

In his disappeared and forgotten state, Jinren ascended in one step, directly onto the small island pavilion in the middle of the lake, hovering high above, looking down.

At the pavilion, a little girl with braided pigtails, who looked no more than six or seven years old, had a white sword on her back and wore a light brown tight suit. She was practicing punches in a horse stance. Her punches, delivered with grunts and shouts, stirred the air with powerful force, indicating extraordinary talent.

Jinren hesitated. He looked at the little girl, feeling a sense of familiarity, yet couldn’t recall anyone he had seen who resembled her. Behind the little girl stood an old man with a youthful complexion and white hair, exuding an immortal aura. He must have been the “teacher,” instructing the girl in her boxing:

“Miss Keke, you’re using your strength incorrectly.”

“Strength is born from the legs, and the legs are rooted in the ground. Even when punching, when the fist moves, you should use the legs to generate strength from the ground, borrow the vortex power from the waist and abdomen, infuse the rigidity and fierceness of the shoulders and elbows, and strike out through the wrists. Only then can you…”

“Oh! I know, stop talking!” The little girl got annoyed and angrily interrupted: “It’s easy for you to say when you’re standing. Why don’t you try a horse stance?”

“Alright.” The old man helplessly assumed a horse stance, about to demonstrate punching.

The little girl stopped practicing: “Punching can’t change destiny. Only practicing swordsmanship can grant eternal life. I want to practice swordsmanship!” With a whoosh, she drew the white long sword from her back, flicked the sword, and innate sword intent surged forth.

“Miss…”

The old man’s face showed bitterness: “The Way of the Sword is arduous, no one can succeed. Although boxing is a bit tiring, it’s the foundation. If you don’t lay a good foundation at your age now…”

“Shut up!”

The little girl’s face hardened. She shook the long sword in her hand, stepped forward and thrust, shouting: “Wind rises, conjuring clouds and dreams!”

With a boom, a single sword strike caused waves ten zhang wide. This was dozens of times stronger than punching.

On the pavilion, seeing this sword, Jinren stumbled violently, almost falling to the ground. He recognized this sword! This wasn’t…

“Who?”

The old man suddenly looked up, a fierce glint in his eyes, as if he had directly seen the hidden peeper. My Disappearance Art plus Solitary Existence, and you can still see me? Directly meeting the old man’s gaze, Jinren smiled without speaking, continuing to openly observe in secret.

The old man actually spoke, cupping his hands towards the air and saying: “Who is Your Excellency? Why are you disturbing our quiet cultivation?”

Still feigning?

Jinren curled his lips, crossed his arms, and said nothing.

“Who are you, come down!”

The little girl also pointed her sword at the high sky, her gem-like eyes burning with anger, clearly also annoyed at being stared at from above.

No, this isn’t right.

Jinren felt something strange. This didn’t seem like they couldn’t see him… He suddenly widened his pupils, remembering that his main body had once been affected by a “Reversed Memory” technique from Suiyin, but could this thing affect even the second true body? His Disappearance Art plus Solitary Existence had not only failed to make him “invisible,” but had made him even more obvious, seen by the grandfather and granddaughter?

Jinren wasn’t flustered. He generously dispelled the Disappearance Art and Solitary Existence, letting out a long laugh: “Plant a tree for ten years, cultivate a person for a hundred years.”

What is that… The little girl was stunned for a moment.

The old man, hearing this riddle-like statement, also showed a flicker of apprehension in his eyes. He watched the person solidify from a blurry shadow into a real person dressed in a starry robe, every muscle tensed.

Then he heard the peeper curl his lips and say with a smile: “Dao-mou was passing by this place and saw mist rising from the lake, which was quite inspiring. So I waded through the water and approached this pavilion. I had no intention of disturbing you. If there is any offense, please forgive me.”

His words were appropriate, and both the little girl and the old man hesitated, but the emphasis was clearly not on the content of his words, but elsewhere.

“Is your surname Dao?” the little girl asked, sheathing her sword.

Jinren paused, but did not answer. Instead, he smiled and asked back, “Am I not allowed to be surnamed Dao?”

The little girl was speechless. She frowned, lowered her head, and mumbled to herself: “People with the surname Dao shouldn’t be provoked. This is troublesome, why did it have to be someone with the surname Dao…”

Jinren pondered.

Unlike other Emperor Realms, the Ganshi Emperor Realm wasn’t entirely populated by people with the surname Dao? Here, those with the surname Dao, whether direct descendants or illegitimate, were superior to all other castes, and others were not to provoke them, but others could exist?

“Is your name Keke?” Jinren asked.

The little girl’s face showed pride, and she was about to speak when the old man beside her stopped her. He cupped his hands and bowed: “So it’s Brother Dao, I’ve heard much about you.”

“My granddaughter and I have received the grace of the Ganshi Dao clan and are cultivating here. The Ganshi Holy Temple has also agreed to designate this place for my granddaughter and me to control, and they will not disturb us for thirty years.”

“Brother Dao, why have you come this time?”

Jinren narrowed his eyes. The old man’s words contained a lot of information, but not too much. He didn’t answer, but stared at the little girl, continuing to ask, “Is your name Keke?”

This time, the old man couldn’t stop her. The little princess puffed out her chest and proudly said, “Yes!”

“What’s your surname?”

The little princess deflated, her eyes flickering, her face terrified, and she looked fearfully at the old man beside her. The old man cupped his hands and said, neither humble nor arrogant: “Chenglin Liu clan.”

Jinren seemed to be mumbling to himself: “Rao Keke…”

The little girl immediately turned pale with fright, shrinking directly behind the old man, hugging his thigh and saying in terror: “My surname is Liu!”

“My name is Liu Keke!”

“I am the thirty-seventh generation descendant of the Chenglin Liu clan! Although my Liu clan has been annihilated, I will lead the Chenglin Liu clan to restore its former glory, with this sword in my hand!”

The old man opened his mouth, wanting to cover the little girl’s mouth, but it was already too late.

Jinren asked, “Who is Rao Yaoyao to you?”

The little girl’s eyes lit up. She peered out from behind the old man, surprised: “You know my aunt?”

She suddenly thought of something, and the light in her eyes instantly vanished. She shrank back behind the old man, clutching the back of his robes, her body trembling, and large tears fell. “Grandpa Liu, did I say something wrong again…”

The old man sighed, ruffled the little girl’s head, and said nothing.

Jinren also sighed. The Wurao Emperor Realm, each generation weaker than the last. Perhaps this was destiny?

Please: m.bqg99.cc