Chapter 1869: Nine Lives

"Hiss!"

Xu Xiaoshou gasped, chilled to the bone. The sight of the spinning wheel and the pointer brought back a flood of painful memories. Back then, it was his impulsiveness, his decision to turn the pointer instead of the wheel, that broke it and led to a cascade of subsequent passive accidents.

"I have a body full of active skills!" he thought. "I could have had active skills, if only the 'Active System' hadn't taken up the majority of the wheel, a full ninety percent!"

He vaguely recalled the black wheel being divided into two main sections at the bottom, one gold and one red. The gold was for the Active System, and the red for the Passive System. But now, at a glance, either his memory was failing, or his eyes were blurry from lying in bed for too long.

"No partitions?"

The black wheel, brought back by the Source of Time, no longer had gold and red sections. Instead, it was a dull, woody yellow. The murky, inferior wood color not only highlighted the simple craftsmanship of the black wheel but also fully expressed the shoddy paint.

"A wooden wheel…"

Xu Xiaoshou stared intently, then suddenly froze. If you removed the black exterior, this wooden wheel was incredibly familiar. He had seen similar objects on the display table next to the ten statuettes in the Ancient and Modern Forget-Worry Tower, also cheaply made and roughly crafted. If it were the work of Kong Yuhan, the ten statuettes were meticulously sculpted and lifelike, so it shouldn't be like this. But if it wasn't, the only difference between the black wheel before him and the wooden wheel on the table in the Ancient and Modern Forget-Worry Tower was the black paint on the outside, nothing more!

"Shi Zu…" Xu Xiaoshou murmured, frowning thoughtfully. He was certain that the black wheel, which was the Passive System, was inextricably linked to Shi Zu. Perhaps the answers the Mo Zu could provide were not as clear as those he might uncover by directly touching the truth.

"Touch it?"

Hesitantly, Xu Xiaoshou extended a finger. He could feel a deep calling from the wheel before him. Inside, there seemed to be an invisible vortex, pulling at his spirit, urging him to touch it. All truth, perhaps, could be known upon touch.

"I've come this far!" Xu Xiaoshou gritted his teeth, his hand shooting out like a snake from its hole, with lightning speed, and fiercely nudged the frail pointer on the wheel again.

The pointer broke without surprise. The entire wooden black wheel quickly vibrated and soon developed cracks. Finally, the room shook violently, and a magnificent波动 (bōdòng - fluctuation) emanated from the cracked wheel, transforming into an invisible giant hand that grabbed Xu Xiaoshou's mind and dragged him inward.

"Holy shit! Don't to..."

"Buzz!"

Ringing in his ears came wave after wave, vexing him. His consciousness, soul, and physical body seemed to separate. He felt dizzy and disoriented, like he had drunk too much and was about to vomit.

"Ugh!" Xu Xiaoshou lasted only three breaths before he retched. But it was only dry heaving; no foul matter came out. In fact, he hadn't even felt his "stomach" or "gut" yet—his body hadn't fully "returned."

But with that retch, his consciousness gradually reconnected from the blur. Xu Xiaoshou then spent a great deal of effort to regain control of his eyelids, taking half a day to finally force his eyes open.

It was very blurry… His vision seemed to have been stolen, everything he saw as ethereal as water waves. Wisps of white mist curled into clumps, scattered around him, blurring the surroundings.

There was no sense of being grounded! Everything felt so unreal!

But fortunately, the white mist, like water, was fluid. From this "peeping" perspective, Xu Xiaoshou painstakingly pieced together the scene for a long time and finally saw something clearly.

"Someone…"

He couldn't see the scene ahead clearly. But there seemed to be three figures gathered around a table-like object, discussing something as if no one else were present. Unfortunately, the ringing in his ears persisted, and he couldn't hear.

"Hearing!"

"I need to hear!" Xu Xiaoshou cried out in his mind, and it actually had some effect. Soon, when the ringing in his ears faded to an acceptable level, he regained his hearing, albeit a weakened version, like the ear that listens through a wall—a peeping perspective.

"Ming, are you sure… you want to… do this?"

A voice came from afar, not quite clear, with some sounds leaking out. The language they used for communication was not that of the Sheng-shen Continent, but Xu Xiaoshou was surprisingly able to "understand" its meaning. Was this the power of the Chao-dao Hua-yi-dao Pan? No, no, he was getting sidetracked. The main point was…

"Ming?" From the tone and phrasing, this was clearly a title, similar to "Ba Zun'an" or "Xu Xiaoshou." A single name, "Ming"?

This first sentence he heard after regaining his hearing was somewhat surprising. Xu Xiaoshou immediately thought of "Ming Zu." An alleged instigator of everything, even an alleged existence of himself. After all, in the world behind the previous door, the figure suspected to be Shi Zu, Kong Yuhan, had called him "Ming Zu."

"Ming Zu is here!"

"Then whoever dares to call him that must be Shi Zu!"

"Three people, who is Ming Zu, who is Shi Zu, and who is the last one?"

Bearing these confusions, Xu Xiaoshou continued to peek and listen. He felt a bit like a pervert… Not daring to indulge in further wild thoughts, Xu Xiaoshou quickly snapped back to attention, focusing on the scene before him.

But it was too blurry. He couldn't even discern the height, weight, or build of the three figures by the table, let alone anything else. Suddenly, as the white mist flowed, Xu Xiaoshou vaguely saw the tall figure standing on the right, who seemed to be wearing a light golden robe?

"The one on the right is Shi Zu!" Xu Xiaoshou's memory was excellent. The figure of Shi Zu he saw from behind in the pavilion in the world behind the first door was wearing a light golden robe embroidered with chi-long patterns, with black hair pinned up, long sleeves draped, ethereal and transcendent, like an immortal.

"...I see... the risk is very high." Some words were missing in the middle, but only the person on the right was speaking, indicating that this person had been speaking all along. Shi Zu, no doubt! Xu Xiaoshou had confirmed one identity first, then pondered the content of his words. Unfortunately, the information he gained was still scant, better than nothing. He continued to peek and listen.

"The great tribulation is coming, we must do something." This time it was clear. As the white mist flowed, the figure in the middle, cloaked in black, spoke and then looked up. His face was not very clear, but his words were crisp and decisive. And not just the content, but even his voice…

"My voice!" Xu Xiaoshou's pupils dilated. He had the passive skill "Perception," which often allowed him to see and hear his own conversations with others from a god's-eye view. He was familiar with his own voice, almost without deviation. And now, the person in the middle, not only had a tone and manner of speaking seven parts similar to his own, but his voice was nine parts identical!

"Is he Ming Zu?"

"Is he also me?" This couldn't help but make one's heart pound. The "Ming Zu" spoken by the Shi Zu's back in the world behind the first door, did it truly have a deeper meaning? The identities of two of the three people had been roughly determined. Xu Xiaoshou, however, felt no joy, only an inexplicable heaviness. Clearly, the matter these three were discussing was somewhat terrifying. He had come because of the black wheel, and what they were discussing must be related to the essence of the passive system, and it also involved some great tribulation…

"This is what I think." As time passed, his hearing gradually improved, and what he heard was no longer fragmented. The person in the middle, suspected to be Ming Zu, paused. Amidst the flowing white mist, he raised his black sleeve, as if pinching a piece, and gently placed it on a chessboard on the table. They were playing chess? A game of chess with three people would be a bit too crowded?

"The three of us together, our target is too big."

"But to face the tribulation, our numbers are too few; we need help."

"And since this tribulation is not good to confront directly, we should respond in a roundabout way. I think it would be good if I entered reincarnation to find a way to break the tribulation, what do you think?"

As these words fell, the two people on either side of the chessboard stirred slightly.

"No." The Shi Zu on the right was the first to speak. But before he could retort, the black-robed Ming Zu in the center waved his sleeve and spoke again:

"This is the most secure method."

"Both of your paths are too absolute. One is too Dao-ized, and the other is too self-centered. Neither has a stable foundation, so you cannot rashly enter reincarnation."

"I, on the other hand, am different." He paused, clearly having concerns about reincarnation, but finally stated unequivocally: "My name praised for myriad generations, I shall live forever!"

"I achieved Dao through my name; all heavens can serve as my foundation."

"Even if the worst outcome occurs, as long as one of you remembers my name, I can return."

Upon hearing this, the Shi Zu on the right slammed his palm on the table. The chessboard, obscured by the white mist, echoed with the sound of scattered chess pieces. Shi Zu also raised his voice, interrupting Ming Zu's speech, his voice extremely solemn:

"In ordinary times, you can casually enter reincarnation and play around however you wish, I wouldn't stop you."

"But you also said the great tribulation is coming, which means the Dao's principles are disordered and fate is reversed. You fear the worst outcome will happen, but I, observing time and following the脈絡 (màiluò -脉络), dare to assert that the worst outcome will definitely happen!"

Time… Xu Xiaoshou's heart stirred. But he suppressed his emotions and continued to observe. Amidst the white mist, Ming Zu remained silent. Not long after, he turned and stared at the right side, slowly shaking his head: "Kong Yuhan…"

Xu Xiaoshou's heart skipped a beat. He finally heard something he could understand! The person on the right was indeed Shi Zu, and Shi Zu was Kong Yuhan, also known as the aggregate of all Kong Yuhan on the river of time, as stated by Mo Zu. At this time, had he not yet differentiated into myriad forms? Then the back of Kong Yuhan he saw in the world behind the first door was also Shi Zu from the same period? If so, what he had said before should also be true. He himself was Ming Zu, who had gone through reincarnation an unknown number of times under his consciousness, but had forgotten all memories of this past? Then, what about the passive system? They talked so much, and he had come because of the black wheel, the essence of the passive system, but he hadn't heard a single mention of the black wheel?

"On the contrary, I agree!" A completely unfamiliar voice came, hoarse, strange, and extremely certain, with a hint of malevolence. It was clearly one voice, but it seemed to have many layers within, as if many different creatures were speaking at the same time, uttering the same sentence, making one's skin crawl. Xu Xiaoshou's heart tightened, and he secretly glanced at the source of the voice on the left. He was too curious about who this person was. One of the Ten Zun? Sheng Zu? Yao Zu? Shu Zu? Or was it Zhan Shenguan Ran Ming?

"None of them seem quite right…" The white mist flowed, but this time it didn't reveal the person's face. Xu Xiaoshou could only see that his attire was also very strange. He was dressed in a myriad of colors—orange, yellow, green, purple. His clothes looked like a patchwork robe made from many pieces of fabric stitched together, and he wore it draped over one shoulder, but it shouldn't be a monk's robe.

"Not any of the Ten Zun!"

"Nor is he a monk!" Xu Xiaoshou had seen Buddhist disciples. Although he hadn't seen this person's face, from his tone of voice and the first impression of his demeanor, he didn't seem like the kind of ascetic who would wear a patchwork robe. This person was very fierce… After the fierce-looking person on the left finished his first sentence, his voice lowered, and the content became completely inaudible.

Buzz, buzz, buzz. A strange sound emanated, as if ten thousand people were whispering, making one dizzy and disoriented. Soon, his voice resurfaced, louder than before: "I think it's feasible!"

"Ming's path is completely viable."

"It's just that the great tribulation is coming, and the future is perilous, so some measures are needed to provide protection."

Here it comes! Xu Xiaoshou felt that the main point was about to be discussed—the black wheel! Just then, the white mist coincidentally thinned out slightly in front of this person, but what was revealed was not a human face… He was wearing a mask! The mask was also mottled in color, with black and red interwoven, and blue and green added. It had glaring eyes and bared fangs, crude and fierce, profound and majestic. Just one glance left a deep sense of dread.

"Nuo mask…"

"That's right, his clothes also have a special origin, it's that kind of ceremonial Nuo costume…" Xu Xiaoshou felt that if he looked at it for two more seconds, the person would discover him. He unconsciously shifted his gaze, finding his heart already beating faster. He composed himself, but couldn't stop his thoughts from churning: Ming Zu, Shi Zu, Nuo Zu! Of these three Zun, only Kong Yuhan was one of the Ten Zun of the Sheng-shen Continent. The other two were not among the Ten Zun. But there were clearly only ten Ancestor God fates, and these two could communicate with Shi Zu Kong Yuhan with such imposing presence, they must be more than just Half-Saints or Saint Emperors, right? Where did they get their Ancestor God fates? Or did all three of them complete the path of "two to one, one to zero"? But if that were the case, even these three powerful beings feared and had to respond circuitously to the "great tribulation"…

"Well said, I have an idea." The Ming Zu, full of ideas, took over Nuo Zu's words: "The great tribulation is coming, and to still undergo myriad reincarnations, doing it arbitrarily, is indeed not very rational, and time does not allow it."

"I fear that before I can find a strategy, find people, and recover my strength, disaster will strike. We must make something out of 'time'."

The two Zun then looked towards the right simultaneously.

"How to make something out of it?" Shi Zu asked.

"There's no time for me to slowly retrace my path through the mortal world, lifetime by lifetime."

"Nine is the extreme of numbers, so let's take the number 'nine'. Under the great tribulation, I wish to undergo nine reincarnations simultaneously to save time."

"Kong Yuhan, you can make time parallel, allowing the paths of reincarnation to advance simultaneously. As long as I emerge successfully in one lifetime, it will be considered a success."

Xu Xiaoshou could empathize with Kong Yuhan's silence at this moment. He didn't even quite understand what Ming Zu meant by "making time parallel."

Ming Zu then looked to the left: "I also need your 'Nine-Life Boundary-Breaking Fruit'."

"Agreed." Nuo Zu assented readily.

Shi Zu, however, seemed somewhat anxious: "Are you insane? Taking the Nine-Life Boundary-Breaking Fruit is tantamount to cutting off your own retreat. If you don't emerge in nine lives, if you don't reach a higher realm, you will be eternally lost!"

"Do we have any other choice?" Ming Zu smiled faintly, with a hint of confidence, "No breakthrough, no establishment."

Clearly, the Nuo Zu on the left was also a radical: "Well said, no breakthrough, no establishment! But I must warn you a few things…" He paused, and amidst the white mist, pulled out a golden fruit the size of a human head, but did not hand it over:

"The Dao is hard to change, fate is hard to alter."

"After consuming this item, though it is said to be nine lives, in reality, only in the first life do you have a chance to fight. But to say you will return to your current realm… that's difficult!"

"And if you don't achieve transcendence in this life, the path of defying fate will only be harder in the next. If you don't transcend in three lives, the probability of transcending again is almost zero."

"If it really drags on to the seventh or eighth life, I'm afraid you'll be plagued by illness from birth, struggling with every step. Or perhaps you won't even be able to choose your birthplace, simply thrown by reincarnation into a place where spiritual energy is exhausted. At that time, you won't even smell a hint of 'Dao,' let alone begin cultivating."

"Given all this, do you still wish to consume the Nine-Life Boundary-Breaking Fruit?"

After these words, the atmosphere grew heavy. Ming Zu evidently knew these consequences well, but had already made his choice, his resolve unwavering. He smiled, waved his sleeve, and said:

"No matter. If I don't succeed, I'll become a benevolent spirit."

Please read at m.bqq999.cc