Chapter 1844: Vision

“Om!”

As the Fusang Dafuo Zhanjian was unleashed, at the remote Guizhe Old Site, the Ghost Buddha appeared simultaneously with the sword’s hum, accompanied by fleeting, anomalous phenomena.

A biting wind howled, and heavy snow fell.

In the small town at the foot of Qingyuan Mountain, Cao Erzhun had long since returned to his blacksmith shop. While forging iron, he suddenly stopped, turning his head to look out the window.

“Hua…”

Cao Erzhun hesitated, stopped speaking, and then changed his question, “Has he arrived?”

The blacksmith shop’s door was open, and Old Dad sat with his arms crossed on a large wine barrel by the entrance. Despite the cold, he was casually draped in a cloak. Snowflakes didn’t land on him; when they came within three fingers’ distance, they seemed to be vaporized by an extremely high temperature, turning into smoke and dissipating into the cold wind.

“Zzzz…”

Purple lightning flashed in Kuileihan’s eyes. He withdrew his gaze, lowered his head, and instinctively reached for the wine gourd at his waist. After a pause, he remembered he had removed all his wine vessels long ago; he had been abstaining from alcohol for some time.

“Old Dad, what did you see?” Cao Erzhun put down his large hammer and walked over.

Both had eyes, but he believed what he saw was fundamentally different from what Old Dad saw. Even the world perceived by their eyes might be entirely distinct.

“Want to know?”

Old Dad turned his head. In the past, he wouldn’t have spoken like this, at most saying, “Shut up,” or “Don’t ask,” and then sending him back to practice hammering. Over the past half year, Old Dad had changed a lot. He was willing to discuss many things with him, which was why Cao Erzhun dared to ask now.

“Mm!”

He nodded heavily.

Kuileihan looked at his son’s naive expression, said nothing more, and with a flick of his tiger eyes, purple lightning surged forth. Cao Erzhun’s body trembled violently. A replicated image with purple lightning edges was mentally transmitted into his mind, and his pupils suddenly constricted.

In the image, the Ghost Buddha high above the Guizhe Old Site, in that instant, seemed to have fully amassed power in its cinnabar mark between the eyebrows. The cinnabar wriggled, as if a ghost eye was about to open from its center. This ghost eye seemed to connect to something, drawing terrifying power from an unknown place.

Then, behind the Ghost Buddha, a white-robed figure condensed, carrying a long sword at its waist and a bronze lamp in its hand, similar in attire to the special Yin Gui he had seen before. However, it was even more powerful!

“Gui Jianxian, Hua Changdeng…”

Cao Erzhun murmured silently, but what moved him was not just this anticipated figure. As the phantom of Hua Changdeng appeared, various other phenomena illuminated the sky behind it.

A bizarre purple eye, as if the void itself was its face, occupied half the sky, radiating an eerie majesty.

An inverted golden miniature pagoda, deeply buried underground, with a colossal black coffin suppressed beneath it.

A Huai tree connecting heaven and earth, its roots like tentacles, entwined and grasping the golden miniature pagoda, its crown like a colossal umbrella, supporting the purple evil eye in the sky.

“Ugh!”

At this point, Cao Erzhun’s body trembled violently, he groaned, blood oozed from the corners of his lips, and his eyes were filled with horror.

“Zushen?”

His eyes widened, and he looked at Old Dad in disbelief. Old Dad appeared calm and collected, not at all like someone who had just witnessed a Zushen. He had seen the first-hand image, while what he saw was a second-hand, transmitted image…

Cao Erzhun clenched his fists. Xiao Shou Ge always called him foolish, and Old Dad always said he was silly. But he himself felt he was meticulous, always able to discern from these details the vast gap between himself and Old Dad.

In his mind, Old Dad’s words from his dream resurfaced…

“Erzhun, if one day, you grow taller than me, stronger than me, and have the chance to fight your Old Man, me, would you dare to fight? Would you? Could you really win? If you’re on a straight handle, and the hammerhead is me, one of us must die, and I won’t hold back, would you dare to fight?”

Cao Erzhun remained silent for a long time, still unable to find an answer. He snapped back to reality, realizing Old Dad was staring at him, and even smiled—Heaven! He actually smiled?

“You’re sweating.” Old Dad pointed, smiling.

Cao Erzhun wiped the sweat from his forehead, grinned, and didn’t respond to that comment, only asking again, “Zushen?”

“Mm.”

Old Dad nodded, without any reservation, “What you saw, there should only be three.”

There are more unseen? Cao Erzhun’s mouth opened, just about to speak.

Old Dad continued, “Remember, there’s also a large tortoise with a small boy sitting on its back. This is the fourth phase.”

So, there’s a fifth? Cao Erzhun felt he was going to sweat again, his hand suspended in front of his forehead, forgetting to wipe it.

“The last one is a three-story wooden pavilion, not tall, with an open door. Inside there’s a tea table, and a person sitting there.”

Cao Erzhun’s first reaction was to ask. Old Dad waved his hand, interrupting him again: “Don’t ask. If I explain too specifically, you won’t remember. When that time comes, tell what you saw to your Eighth Uncle… if he’s still around.”

What does that mean? Ba Zun’an, not present?

Cao Erzhun couldn’t hold back his flood of questions: “When is ‘that time’?”

“When the time comes, you’ll naturally understand.”

Kuileihan turned his head back, continuing to gaze north, in the direction of the Ghost Buddha: “If you can’t find your Eighth Uncle then, go find your Xiao Shou Ge and tell him these things.”

Cao Erzhun felt an inexplicable sadness. He asked, “Why can’t I find Old Dad?”

“Do you have to rely on your Old Man for everything? Will I protect you your whole life?” Old Dad’s back was too imposing, and Erzhun didn’t dare to speak much. His voice became much softer: “What you can see, Xiao Shou Ge can also see, I don’t need to tell him.”

Old Dad shrugged, as if amused:

“You trust your Xiao Shou Ge so much…”

Heavy snow poured through the door, blurring Old Dad’s figure, and even his voice became ethereal:

“Why don’t you reflect on yourself? Why can’t you see clearly?”

Dead Futu City.

In recent days, it had become a nightmare for the city’s Wanted criminals like Dead Disciples and villains. It was well-known that Dead Futu City did not tolerate Half-Sages. However, half a month ago, a completely cloaked orange figure entered the city, and wherever he went, people would mysteriously die.

Some tried to attack him. This fellow simply waved his sleeve and shattered them, possessing astonishing power. The Dead Disciples were forced to unite and attack again. This orange figure simply raised his hand, unleashing Saint Force, directly terrifying them—a Half-Sage had entered Dead Futu City?

“What about the rules?”

“Has the sky changed, and the rules of Dead Futu City changed too?”

Having witnessed Master Shou’s great battle at Guizhe half a year ago, some recognized the orange figure within a few days; it must be Yan Wang’s Tianren Wuishuai. After recognizing the bringer of bad luck, no one dared to approach. They also understood why he could enter Dead Futu City; this fellow didn’t seem to have achieved Sainthood through the Half-Saint rank.

The city became deserted, and in contrast, the woman who had been consistently accompanying Tianren Wuishuai suddenly became particularly conspicuous.

“She’s so beautiful, especially her eyes, they’re heterochromatic…”

“Too bad I haven’t seen her make a move. Could she be Tianren Wuishuai’s daughter or something? I think I’ve seen her somewhere, a bit familiar?”

“Can’t recall. Yesterday, she seemed to be heading towards the Crossroads, maybe she’s going in?”

“Hopefully, she goes in quickly. Dead Futu City can’t tolerate these two great Buddhas. The Crossroads are deep, maybe it’ll work.”

“I really miss Cang Sheng Dadi. If he were still here, no Half-Sages would dare to smuggle themselves in so brazenly…”

“They moved! Brothers! Xiahu’s men are watching, they seem to be entering the Crossroads! Shall we go take a look?”

“Let’s go, let’s go!”

There wasn’t much entertainment in Dead Futu City, just daily fighting and killing. The Tianren Wuishuai big shots didn’t dare to get too close, but there was no shortage of desperate individuals in the city. Under heavy rewards, brave men emerged, and many were tasked with surveillance.

As soon as these two ominous figures moved, news spread everywhere. People rushed to the vicinity of East Street but dared not get too close.

At the Crossroads, outside the East Street gate.

Tianren Wuishuai stared at the swirling barrier gate leading to another place, and finally spoke, advising:

“The Lord of East Street is Shen Yi. From this gate, we’ll find Aunt Xiang. For Xu Xiaoshou’s sake, if anything goes wrong, they’ll help.”

“But, have you thought it through?”

Lei Xi’er, dressed in black, gently tapped her temple with a slender finger, her eyes a bit hazy as she heard him: “Enter…”

Tianren Wuishuai’s eyes narrowed beneath his mask: “It, spoke again?”

“Yes, I must enter…”

Tianren Wuishuai fell silent. The Zhizheng Motu was quite helpful for cultivation in the early stages of the Spirit Refining Path. By devouring life force, one could grow almost without bottlenecks. Lei Xi’er’s growth path could be described as incredibly smooth. Leaving aside her origins, her cultivation from Xiantian to Zongshi was without incident. Later, she consumed the Bai Ku Small World, which is the world origin of Jin Zhao Yu Hai, one of the Seven Duan Jin, paving the way from Wangzuo to Taixu.

Her cultivation path was so smooth that anyone in the Five Domains would envy her, effortlessly rising to the first tier of the current generation of youths. It was only when Lei Xi’er reached Taixu and chose to stop, not pursuing Sainthood, that the Zhizheng Motu’s ferocity first manifested. A voice appeared in her mind, not Mu Zixi’s, but a murmuring holy sound, or a demonic sound:

“Crossroads East Street… Qingshi Ge… top floor… wooden cabinet… medicine box… Half-Saint rank…”

Listening to Lei Xi’er’s narration, Tianren Wuishuai fell silent again. Once, he had desperately sought the Half-Saint rank but couldn’t attain it. For months, Lei Xi’er, guided solely by the voice in her mind, had found three of them. All were ownerless! All could be acquired without effort!

But the pies that fall from the sky are the most terrifying. Under Xu Xiaoshou’s warnings and forceful guidance, Tianren Wuishuai didn’t dare to take even half a piece, much less let Lei Xi’er take them. For months, he had accompanied her throughout, but accidents still occurred frequently.

The most terrifying time, Tianren Wuishuai accidentally fell asleep. When he awoke with a start, Lei Xi’er had secretly dug out a Half-Saint rank, and the Saint Tribulation was halfway through. Fortunately, he was Tianren Wuishuai and forcefully shattered the Saint Tribulation, successfully averting that crisis. Today, the strangeness recurred…

The guidance in Lei Xi’er’s mind once again pointed her to the path of Sainthood, and the only necessary reliance for achieving it.

“The most superficial guidance…”

“The Zhizheng Motu, can also be the most natural furnace…”

“Although the Shenmo Tong was obtained from her brother, causing the tragic incident in the Lei family, from the outcome, it can be seen as having protected her during her weakest period, directly bestowing upon her divine power and demonic power, which are the powers of the Saint Ancestor and Demon Ancestor…”

Half a year ago, Xu Xiaoshou opened the Yidao Pan wide, providing guidance that directly countered the forces of “forgetfulness” and “guidance” from the Ten Ancestors or Saint Emperor families that enveloped the Saint God Continent. To this day, all Half-Sages no longer forget the Zushen.

Tianren Wuishuai naturally had his own views on the Ten Ancestors. From his perspective, and even from the most direct outward appearance of Lei Xi’er, the only conclusion he could draw was:

“Lei Xi’er, born to prepare for the Demon Ancestor’s resurrection!”

Crossroads, Dao Futa, Zushen’s secrets… these are no longer secrets, but well-known information. Many people from the Five Domains have come to Dead Futu City, gathering there, waiting for news of Dao Futa’s complete emergence, awaiting their opportunity. For the past half-year, the Demon Ancestor’s power has repeatedly leaked from the Crossroads, accompanied by continuous anomalies. However, apart from the first time when powerful individuals saw something resembling Dao Futa, all subsequent phenomena showed no signs of Dao Futa’s emergence.

Until recently, accompanying Lei Xi’er to Dead Futu City, Tianren Wuishuai learned a lot about the inside of the Crossroads from just the outer city. He heard that even the precise location of Dao Futa had been pinpointed. Not only big shots, but even rats on the street could see the anomalies of Dao Futa and wanted a piece of the Zushen opportunity.

The Crossroads had consequently gone mad with killing. With Aunt Xiang of East Street acting on behalf of Shen Yi, and the new Lord of North Street, Gui Fen Dadi, leading, both sides fought a bloody battle, all to monopolize the opportunity of Dao Futa. But Dao Futa still couldn’t be entered, as if it lacked a “key”! No one knew what this key was, but they had such a premonition.

Tianren Wuishuai, however, wondered if the moment Lei Xi’er entered the Crossroads would be the moment the demonic key unlocked and the Zushen’s secret was unveiled?

“This old man cannot protect you…”

Tianren Wuishuai finally spoke, “I still suggest that Xu Xiaoshou comes. You are his Junior Sister. He should at least send a clone. That would avoid too many accidents.”

Half a year had passed, and Yan Wang’s first seat, Huang Quan, had not yet returned. Tianren Wuishuai still maintained contact with Xu Xiaoshou and was now essentially half a member of the Heaven’s First Tower. His task was to keep an eye on Lei Xi’er, observing if her Zhizheng Motu and Shenmo Tong had any anomalies, and to report back at any time.

Of course, Tianren Wuishuai also knew. Lei Xi’er’s task was to keep an eye on him, observing if the Three Great Absolute Bodies and the Xueshi Zhu had any anomalies, and to report back at any time. It was a shared adversity in an unconventional sense.

Lei Xi’er shook her head: “Xu Xiaoshou can’t come, nor can his clones. But rest assured, he has left eyes on both you and me. Once we enter East Street, Aunt Xiang will assist. He’s already spoken to her.”

After a pause, Lei Xi’er’s red lips parted again: “He said that if there’s a problem in the Crossroads that even Aunt Xiang can’t solve, then if he came, the result would likely be the same… And he still has to keep an eye on the Ghost Buddha.”

Such a busy person! He didn’t seem to move, yet felt very busy!

Tianren Wuishuai was helpless. He also knew that the “Aunt Xiang” in Lei Xi’er’s words wasn’t Aunt Xiang, but mainly referred to Shen Yi. What use could Xiang Yaoyao be? She could be of no use at all! When the sky falls, Shen Yi still has to bear it.

However, if Dao Futa suppressed the Demon Ancestor, and the Demon Ancestor truly emerged in the end, could a mere Shen Yi withstand it?

“What I fear is that after we enter, both of us will forget to look for Aunt Xiang…” Tianren Wuishuai sighed.

Lei Xi’er: “Xu Xiaoshou will take action.”

He hasn’t even come in person, and you trust your Senior Brother so much… Tianren Wuishuai scoffed: “What if, once you enter, you’re directly possessed?”

“No,” Lei Xi’er shook her head again, “He has taught me a Spirit Skill.”

What Spirit Skill could withstand the Demon Ancestor’s possession… Tianren Wuishuai froze: “What is it?”

“Great Summoning Art.” Lei Xi’er’s red lips curved.

“Summon whom?” Tianren Wuishuai pressed, “Xu Xiaoshou, Shen Yi, or Ba Zun’an?”

“Aunt Xiang.”

Outside the East Street gate at the Crossroads, silence fell.

Lei Xi’er thought of something and chuckled softly, then quickly regained her composure. She stepped forward, and just before entering the gate, she tilted her head to the back and slowly said:

“My guidance is very clear, and it cannot avoid the consequence of putting myself in danger. What about you?”

“Have you thought clearly about the path you want to take, and whose game plan you are following?”