Chapter 1829: Relationship

"What's wrong, my Xu?"

Dao Qiongcang's reply came through the Telepathy Technique.

When Xu Xiaoshou tried to locate Dao Qiongcang's main body using the Will Imprint he had left on him, he discovered countless imprints; the entire world seemed to be Dao Qiongcang's "main body."

Had this guy already sensed something? Either he had fragmented the Will Imprint Xu Xiaoshou left on him half a year ago and scattered it, or he had fragmented himself?

"You're truly ruthless, Dao Qiongcang!"

It was incredibly difficult to locate him. If Dao Qiongcang was truly determined to hide, the only time he might have been pinpointed was probably when the Void Ancestor transformed into "Love for All Beings" using the Eye of the Grand Dao.

Xu Xiaoshou got straight to the point, threatening unceremoniously, "How much do you know about Emperor Ganshi? Spill everything, or you're finished!"

"I can't spill it, my Xu," Dao Qiongcang replied, his words laced with bitterness. "Have you forgotten? Half a year ago, I told you about the 'Thirteen Unspeakables.'"

Half a year ago? There really was such a thing! Among the "Thirteen Unspeakables," there was indeed one: "Do not speak of Ganshi."

"So you had this all planned out half a year ago?" Xu Xiaoshou became even more enraged.

"It's not a scheme, my Xu; calm down. I genuinely can't speak of him. I wouldn't dare reveal anything about him."

He's just an Emperor; why such caution? Dao Qiongcang even dared to toy with an Emperor, using an Emperor's status to send Elder Yu to his death on the Heavenly Ladder. A casual plan of his could stir up turmoil among the five great Emperor families, so why would he fear a mere Emperor family head?

Or rather, is Emperor Ganshi more than just an Emperor?

"Dao Ganshi!" Xu Xiaoshou shouted emphatically, "I've called him by his true name, and nothing happened. Why are you making excuses?"

Dao Qiongcang remained unmoved. "Calling him by name now is naturally fine because he's not paying attention here, and the Heavenly Ladder has been severed. But if I were to speak..."

"What then?"

"If I were to speak, just based on the Dao Clan's bloodline senses, something terrible would happen to me!"

This guy was so skilled at deflecting; Xu Xiaoshou felt a sense of powerlessness, like punching cotton. He pondered for a long time, knowing he couldn't press the issue. Dao Qiongcang wasn't buying it, so he reined in his outward anger.

"Don't think I don't know you've been exchanging information; you're not as fractured as outsiders claim." Xu Xiaoshou's voice grew colder. "I'll just say one thing... there's a difference between saying nothing at all and saying only half a sentence when it comes time for reckoning."

"It's really not me!" Dao Qiongcang panicked. "I've never had any contact with him. That old man has incredible power and awareness, constantly monitoring the five domains of the continent. Is it so hard for him to know you have a special external incarnation?"

"Hmph, so you even know about my external incarnation, which means you know what I'm talking about," Xu Xiaoshou sneered.

"My Xu, am I that foolish? You intended to ascend the Heavenly Ladder and secretly infiltrate the five great Emperor families. Would you choose not to visit my clan? Your curiosity isn't that small!" Dao Qiongcang wailed. He desperately explained, "It would be fine if your main body went, but that wisp of your will going is like throwing yourself into a trap. Now that you're asking me, there's nothing I can do to reverse it!"

"Hmph, so as a friend, knowing my external incarnation was about to face disaster, you didn't warn me at all. You chose to stand by and watch from the sidelines."

Dao Qiongcang was clearly choked, letting out a desperate cry. But before he could clarify, Xu Xiaoshou cut him off with a single statement: "And then you want to blame me for not asking? If I don't ask, you won't say anything? Is that how you treat a friend?"

"Ah—"

A groundhog's scream echoed from the other end of the Telepathy Technique. Dao Qiongcang was numb. "It's not that I didn't want to warn you; I didn't dare! If I had spoken up early, he would have sensed it. The delicate balance between us would surely shatter. He couldn't touch your external incarnation, so he would definitely come after me, my Xu!"

"Yes, you have your difficulties."

Such a long explanation only earned him a single sentence from Xu Xiaoshou, leaving Dao Qiongcang utterly stumped. He vaguely felt that something major was brewing, and more trouble was about to arise. Sure enough, the next moment, Xu Xiaoshou's icy voice came through the Telepathy Technique:

"Good friends, for life. Between you and me, you chose yourself, you chose selfishness, and you ignored all my feelings. You're right, your choice is perfectly fine."

Dao Qiongcang nearly split open. "Ah—"

Xu Xiaoshou continued, "But if I were you, I would have chosen to speak up, then we'd be in the same boat, solving the problem together, dealing with the trouble from Dao Ganshi. After all, I always considered you my best friend... And you, my Dao, you chose yourself, you chose selfishness. Of course, there's nothing wrong with that, since I'm not important."

"Ahhh!!!"

"Are you screaming so ecstatically because my words hit a nerve?"

A sudden silence fell on the other end of the Telepathy Technique. Dao Qiongcang was completely quiet, as if dead.

The Ghost-Buddha World suddenly changed. Xu Xiaoshou's sharp eyes noticed invisible starlight scattering around, and then the hidden workings of fate began to materialize in the world. Power gathered on Hong Niang, who was holding the Golden Apricot.

"What's happening?" The spectators in the Golden Apricot's vision were astonished. Mr. Si Ren, Elder Yang, and others waiting far off by the mountain range also sensed something unusual.

"Divine Descent Technique!"

Before anyone could react, Hong Niang suddenly knelt on one knee, raising her hands high. From her chest, a person in a luxurious robe emerged, tearing through her clothes.

"This is..." Everyone's pupils constricted.

The figure held a Heavenly Mechanism Compass, then waved a hand, declaring, "Grand Oblivion Technique!"

In this desolate world, everyone immediately became like marionettes, staring blankly, with only Dao Qiongcang and Xu Xiaoshou remaining conscious.

"My Xu, you truly excel at wrongly accusing people."

As soon as Dao Qiongcang appeared, he first deactivated the Golden Apricot's view, then paced forward, his face etched with anxiety. "Things have come to this; more talk is useless. Either kill me with a sword, or let's discuss a solution."

He approached with such sincerity, completely unguarded. Xu Xiaoshou truly wanted to stab this ostentatious fellow through the heart, crushing his body, spirit, and will. Yet, he knew it wouldn't kill Dao Qiongcang.

—It would be a miracle if his main body had come!

"Spit it out," Xu Xiaoshou scoffed.

Dao Qiongcang didn't hesitate, getting straight to the point: "Do you trust your external incarnation?"

Xu Xiaoshou narrowed his eyes, not quite understanding what he meant. He naturally trusted Jin Ren. Frankly, every time he birthed Jin Ren, except when he was forced to destroy Jin Ren during battles, he allowed Jin Ren complete freedom otherwise. Jin Ren could fish in the Apricot World, transform into other appearances to block connections and pursue romantic relationships in the five domains, or choose to become a martial arts fanatic dedicated to a particular path. Jin Ren's life was incredibly rich.

However, as a second true body, Jin Ren had to endure necessary deaths, something Xu Xiaoshou and Jin Ren understood tacitly. Betrayal? Xu Xiaoshou had once entertained such suspicions. After all, with the Saint Devil, Medicine Ghost, and Art Heretic as precedents, he was afraid Jin Ren might one day develop "independent" thoughts. But after some thought, he let it go. Jin Ren hadn't yet been enshrined as an Ancestral God, Xu Xiaoshou treated Jin Ren quite well, and he held absolute control, making the probability of betrayal virtually zero.

Now that Jin Ren was in Emperor Ganshi's hands, Xu Xiaoshou's only concern was the exposure of the "Passive System." If an ordinary person had asked whether he trusted his external incarnation, Xu Xiaoshou would have answered casually. Dao Qiongcang's question, though seemingly out of concern, inevitably contained many underlying intentions:

If he and Dao Ganshi had been exchanging information, and Jin Ren intended to become a spy in Emperor Ganshi's realm, Xu Xiaoshou saying he trusted Jin Ren would undoubtedly put Jin Ren in dire straits. If Dao Ganshi couldn't even grasp the basics of the "Passive System," and Xu Xiaoshou's answer was too precise, it would undoubtedly send a signal to Dao Qiongcang: His secrets were far more significant than Dao Qiongcang imagined!

On Qingyuan Mountain that night, Xu Xiaoshou and Dao Qiongcang had talked at length, both convinced the other held significant secrets. Against such a shrewd individual, Xu Xiaoshou couldn't answer directly, so he simply retorted:

"Has Emperor Ganshi been deified and acclaimed as an Ancestor?"

Emperor Fengtian, Feng Yujin, once tried to seize Xu Xiaoshou's body in the Heavenly Profound Gate, but his power was easily annihilated by the Passive System. That was the first, and only, time Xu Xiaoshou witnessed the system acting due to his own insufficient power. There was no other way; encountering an Emperor so early in his cultivation path was certainly a bumpy one. On Void Island, when the power of the Four Divine Pillars emerged, Old Ancestor Jinzhao's best option would have been to possess Xu Xiaoshou's body to exert maximum power, yet he ultimately chose Lei Xi'er. All these incidents indicated the Passive System's high level, at least that of an Ancestral God. As long as Emperor Ganshi hadn't reached that level, even if he possessed a superior Dao of Memory, Xu Xiaoshou didn't believe he could glean anything from Jin Ren.

Dao Qiongcang shook his head. "Still half a step away."

This statement carried an immense amount of information, chilling Xu Xiaoshou's heart. Without revealing anything, Emperor Ganshi was already on the same level as Emperor Han Gong, both just half a step away?

After speaking, Dao Qiongcang asked again, "Does your external incarnation know all your trump cards and command everything about you?"

Xu Xiaoshou shook his head, then nodded, giving an ambiguous answer before asking back, "Would you allow your Half-Saint incarnation to reach this stage?"

Dao Qiongcang let out a soft laugh, raised a finger, and couldn't help but tap Xu Xiaoshou a few times. "You, you..." He also didn't answer, instead offering a suggestion, "Blessings and misfortunes are intertwined. He will most likely not choose to kill your external incarnation, but only try to gain more information about you. So, you might as well have your external incarnation feign compliance, stay by his side, and wait for the right moment to act."

Not answering was a problem in itself. Xu Xiaoshou also reflected on his own refusal to answer, wondering if Dao Qiongcang had seen through him. The reflection yielded no results. He simply couldn't fathom what this manipulative individual was thinking. And Dao Qiongcang even tried to discern from the questions whether Xu Xiaoshou still maintained a connection with Jin Ren. This guy...

Xu Xiaoshou stared intently at Dao Qiongcang. "Are you Emperor Ganshi's incarnation, or is Emperor Ganshi your incarnation?"

Dao Qiongcang paused slightly, his expression amused by the question. "Are you mad?" He then continued with suggestions: "Three methods. First, actively succumb to demonic influence, confuse your memories, and don't expose your secrets. But this would draw... 'Him' to cast His gaze, as His seal is currently loosening."

"Second, have your external incarnation 'Round Up' — Shen must have taught you this. After rounding up, it can completely 'vanish,' perhaps freeing up a slot for you to have another."

He stopped there. Xu Xiaoshou knew this scoundrel's ulterior motives all too well. Dao Qiongcang was still not entirely sure if Xu Xiaoshou could only have one second true body at a time. He was still testing, constantly calculating!

Bastard!

"And the third?"

Dao Qiongcang's face betrayed nothing as he continued, "The third is the simplest and easiest: you become deified and acclaimed as an Ancestor, breaking all laws with a single force."

"Deify now?" Xu Xiaoshou was surprised.

"You can?" Dao Qiongcang was even more surprised.

"What do you think?" Xu Xiaoshou retorted.

"I don't know! I'm just here to offer suggestions; how you proceed is up to you!" Dao Qiongcang stared at him with wide eyes.

If anyone else around the Stele of the Central Yuan World were still conscious, they would witness the two greatest masters of push-and-pull in this era engaging in the most extreme psychological tug-of-war. Unfortunately, no one was conscious.

After a while of bickering, Xu Xiaoshou grew annoyed and changed the subject. "I'm done talking. I feel irritated and want to go crazy."

Dao Qiongcang's expression changed. He didn't fear a rational Xu Xiaoshou, one he could converse with; he feared "Mad Dog Xu." He asked, "What are you going to do?"

"I want to flatten the Heavenly Mechanism Divine Sect. I've suffered a loss, so I can't stand to see others doing well."

"Am I 'others'? Why choose me!" Dao Qiongcang broke down. He was already trying his best to solve the problem. If an ordinary person said this, he would dismiss it. But if Xu Xiaoshou truly went mad, he genuinely had the ability to locate the Heavenly Mechanism Divine Sect's strongholds and people. He wouldn't need to wipe out all of them. Destroying seventy percent would severely wound Dao Qiongcang. Destroying ninety percent would undo Dao Qiongcang's thirty years of planning, sending him back to square one.

Xu Xiaoshou's expression was serious. "We're friends, aren't we? Friends share difficulties."

Was this what "sharing difficulties" meant? This was forcing a difficulty upon him where none existed!

Dao Qiongcang's face grew unsightly, eventually becoming unpredictable, showing signs of resignation. "Go ahead, flatten it. But I won't become your enemy because of it; I'll still consider you a friend."

Xu Xiaoshou stared at him, deeply, then finally smiled. "Just kidding."

"Haha," Dao Qiongcang laughed with relief, repeatedly tapping his finger. "You rascal..."

Xu Xiaoshou also extended a finger, pointing at him. "What's our relationship? Good friends! Can a mere external incarnation shake the bond between us?"

Dao Qiongcang's body stiffened in place, his gaze unwavering, his peripheral vision fixed on the young man's finger opposite him. He stopped replying.

Emperor Ganshi's Realm.

Jin Ren, held in the old tortoise's claw, was powerless to resist, but his mind never stopped thinking: The Dao of Memory surpassing Dao transformation... Unfathomable calculations... Curiosity about the main body's secrets... The desire to control and restrict the second true body...

"A-Jie" on the old tortoise's back had never appeared on the Sacred Divine Continent, seemingly never caring about the outside world, focusing solely on cultivation within Ganshi's realm. Yet, his various behaviors coincided perfectly with Dao Qiongcang's.

Jin Ren opened his mouth, spitting out blood, and spoke with difficulty, "Emperor Ganshi, I don't know what you're thinking, but since you're not killing me or planning to use me, and only want to understand my main body's abilities through me... that's fine!" He nodded heavily, then changed the subject, saying, "But before I die, am imprisoned, or cease to be myself in this lifetime, could I get an answer from you?"

The little boy on the tortoise's back looked over, slightly curious. "What answer?"

Jin Ren took a deep breath and asked, "What exactly is your relationship with Dao Qiongcang?"

The little boy narrowed his eyes, smiling as he gazed at Jin Ren for a long time. He didn't answer directly, but instead said, "What was your previous sentence?"

Jin Ren froze, then pondered and said, "But before I die..."

"The one before that."

"Uh, Emperor Ganshi..."

"That one!" The little boy reached out, interrupting Jin Ren from speaking further, his eyes narrowing to a slit: "Why do you keep calling me 'Emperor Ganshi'?"

What? Jin Ren's pupils contracted. "Are you not?"

The little boy tilted his head, propped his chin on his elbow, and said with a chuckle: "Since you're asking for something, why denigrate my status? Can't you even utter 'Dao Ancestor'?"