Chapter 1878: Finger God

"Ah!"

Outside the Time Rift, the enormous Purple Giant Eye Monster shrieked, as if pierced by a sharp weapon.

Its eyeball twitched violently, uncontrollably recoiling backward, gleaming with an expression of disbelief.

Sound cannot travel through the starry sky.

The Ancestor of Misfortune did not, like the Ancestor of Medicine, constantly expand its life domain to maintain its self-activity.

Thus, the Ancestor of Demons and the Ancestor of Medicine could not hear the sudden shriek from the Purple Giant Eye.

However, merely witnessing its bizarre movements repeatedly, and each movement being so abrupt, even the most foolish would begin to suspect something.

"There's an anomaly in the Time River..."

The Ancestor of Demons and the Ancestor of Medicine each had already assigned a wisp of consciousness to constantly monitor the Time River.

Upon a quick glance now, they could discern that the Ancestor of Misfortune's anomaly likely stemmed from a backlash from the past against the future.

It had been affected!

As for what kind of attack it was...

When trying to investigate closely, the Ancestor of Demons and Ancestor of Medicine could only detect a slightly familiar trace of Will within the anomaly.

The rest was already difficult to ascertain, and the Ancestor of Misfortune was also covering it up—whether out of fear of losing face or not, this made the truth of the matter completely unobservable.

"Ancestor of Misfortune, why the distress?"

The Ancestor of Medicine spoke in a deep voice. The thing it most detested was unnecessary complications.

Not to mention Hua Changdeng's deliberate delay of an hour, which was already unacceptable, but for their ally, the Ancestor of Misfortune, to suddenly suffer a bizarre affliction while waiting, also made one suspect if it harbored ulterior motives.

"A variable!"

The Ancestor of Misfortune's consciousness was pierced by a sword from the past, sending it back to the present.

It longed to immediately rush to the Holy Divine Continent, seize Xu Xiaoshou, and hack him three thousand six hundred times to avenge itself.

But upon regaining composure and seeing the coffin beneath the pagoda and the illusory Great World Locust, the Ancestor of Misfortune regained its composure.

Should it speak?

What good would it do to speak, besides losing face?

It had already warned them once about Xu Xiaoshou, only to be met with cold indifference and a joint barrage of sarcasm from the Ancestor of Demons and Ancestor of Medicine.

The Ancestor of Misfortune took a deep breath, swallowing its anger and bitterness.

"No problem."

Saying "a variable" and then "no problem"—how could that be convincing?

The Ancestor of Demons remained still, while the Ancestor of Medicine spoke again: "You had better explain clearly. I hate anyone who breaks the rules. Don't forget, we are allies now."

"You still remember I am an ally?"

The Ancestor of Misfortune scoffed internally, but its tone was extremely calm: "I mentioned earlier that changes might arise from subtle details... If I were to say that Xu Xiaoshou returned to the past just now and stabbed me with a sword, would you two believe it?"

The illusory Great World Locust swayed, its dense leaves rustling.

The Ancestor of Medicine clearly disbelieved the Ancestor of Misfortune's words, sneering: "Is it Eight Respected Masters, or Xu Xiaoshou? Are you perhaps imagining things, Ancestor of Misfortune, overly suspicious?"

The black coffin shadow, suppressed beneath the inverted Buddha pagoda, also stirred slightly but remained silent.

The Ancestor of Demons no longer mocked.

It probably knew who it was, having just met him and being familiar with his aura.

But precisely because it had recently interacted with Xu Xiaoshou and had closely assessed the strength of that boy's Super-Dao Transformation Will,

As the saying goes: "Hearing is believing, but seeing is proof."

"Even if his Will of Dao reached rank nine, it's nothing special."

This was the Ancestor of Demons' sincere and fitting evaluation of Xu Xiaoshou.

For ordinary people, Super-Dao Transformation might be as difficult as ascending to heaven, categorizing individuals into absolute superior and inferior, no longer common.

Yet, which of the Ten Ancestors hadn't undergone Super-Dao Transformation in one or even multiple Daos?

Xu Xiaoshou was just so-so.

Moreover, while his Will had reached its realm, its application was merely superficial, mostly usable for passive defense.

Everything about that boy, in the Ancestor of Demons' eyes, was a chicken's rib—tasteless to eat, yet a pity to discard. His only remaining utility didn't come from himself but from "Renown."

That's why the Ancestor of Demons wanted to cooperate with him, to understand Renown's ulterior motives and if it could be utilized.

Yet, it didn't truly want to cooperate, as it had its own Dao, clear goals, and promising achievements—Renown's Dao might assist it, but not at the cost of altering its own path.

Therefore, the Ancestor of Demons made a casual move, ceding the initiative to the boy, letting him choose.

As expected, the one named Xu retreated.

"A person without courage cannot establish themselves; a Dao without courage is difficult to practice."

With this retreat, the Ancestor of Demons lost all interest.

It had tried its best to view Xu Xiaoshou, the incarnate of Renown's downfall, with more than just a fleeting glance. In the end, it found that what was destined to fall would indeed fall.

Not at that single step.

But it represented Renown's habitual behavior after its downfall.

Eternal retreat indicated that even before a grand opportunity, his choice would most likely be to retreat due to overthinking. How could one achieve a Great Dao and attain transcendence that way?

Such a person, unless he underwent a Super-Dao Transformation in the Dao of Time and reached the ultimate realm of the Will of Dao within a few days, how could he harm the Ancestor of Misfortune in the past, causing it to undergo such sudden movements repeatedly?

"Absurd."

The Ancestor of Demons quickly dismissed the matter.

But as it dismissed it, it sensed something amiss, as if there was a subtle guidance?

Yet, this matter was truly trivial.

So trivial that it couldn't even be called "creating complications."

And if it were truly a major event, the Ancestor of Misfortune would certainly inform it—the Ancestor of Misfortune's recent behavior was one of appeasement.

So, the Ancestor of Demons selectively dismissed the sudden warning—at best, it was just a forgotten guidance from the Ancestor of Misfortune, afraid of losing face.

"The Ancestor of Medicine is right; that blurry figure really might be Eight Respected Masters in disguise..." At this point, the Ancestor of Misfortune also let it go.

Recalling the previous neglect and mockery, its desire to continue communicating faded, and it even found itself too lazy to utter the name "Xu Xiaoshou" again.

But as the Ancestor of Misfortune let it go, it immediately became alert!

There was guidance!

As the originator of the Dao of Guidance, the Ancestor of Misfortune smelled the scent of guidance more acutely than a dog smells excrement.

It immediately made its mind active and began to diverge its thoughts.

Finally, its gaze fixed upon the black coffin, still silent beneath the inverted Buddha pagoda.

"Oh, you Ancestor of Demons..."

The Ancestor of Misfortune knew that Xu Xiaoshou was also one of the Ancestor of Demons' contingency plans.

It must be that the Ancestor of Demons didn't want it to mention Xu Xiaoshou too much in front of the Ancestor of Medicine, to avoid drawing excessive attention to its contingency, and thus subtly provided cover for him.

Of course, it wasn't impossible that Xu Xiaoshou had also applied guidance with his Will of Dao, but this person had always been a show-off. Having injured itself this time, shouldn't he be loudly proclaiming it?

"Let's just say I was pecked by a goose." Others offered a way out; the Ancestor of Misfortune created and took its own.

After dropping that remark, it closed its eyes, appearing too lazy to speak further.

"Hehehe."

Upon hearing this, the Ancestor of Medicine only offered a benevolent sneer.

Striking a snake at its vital spot is not good for an ally, especially one who values face. It chose to stop at the appropriate moment and not offend further.

Time runs deep.

In the past, Xu Xiaoshou had gotten his shoes wet and could only silently let them dry.

Now, the Ancestor of Misfortune had been pecked in the eye by a goose and could only watch as the goose departed cheerfully, while it itself pouted with suppressed resentment, planning future retaliation.

And knowing that the two Ancestors before it harbored ulterior motives, the Ancestor of Misfortune naturally couldn't reveal much about Xu Xiaoshou. Soon, it sought out another ally, wanting to discuss further.

After all, Xu Xiaoshou's Will of Dao reaching its ultimate realm was not a small matter; in fact, it was quite significant!

"The variable you spoke of has arrived, and you've seen him. It really is him." The Ancestor of Misfortune transmitted this message via Soul Link, communicating with another cunning individual.

Not long after, Dao Qiongcang's echo came from its mind: "Ancestor of Misfortune, what happened?"

"Good, good, good..."

The Ancestor of Misfortune was amused to anger by that single phrase.

At one point, it suddenly wondered what development would have occurred if it had chosen to ally with Xu Xiaoshou after seeing his Super-Dao Transformation back then.

Xu Xiaoshou was even more cunning, better at feigning than this Dao-named fellow.

Dealing with one tiger required excessive vigilance; coexisting with two tigers would mean constant unease.

After being ridiculed by the Ancestor of Misfortune, Dao Qiongcang dared not feign ignorance any longer, sighing helplessly: "Ancestor of Misfortune, I saw it, but I don't know why. If even you don't understand, how could I possibly know?"

"Kuiraihan, Eight Respected Masters, Dao Qiongcang, unfathomable as gods and ghosts..."

"Oh, dear, Ancestor of Misfortune, please don't tease me. Those are just rumors spread by busybodies in the Five Domains. Before you, how dare I claim to be 'unfathomable as gods and ghosts'?"

"You truly live up to 'unfathomable as gods and ghosts'! After all, wasn't 'Love All Beings' calculated to death by you? Not only did you eliminate an unstable variable who merely sought peace, you also shed a burden off my shoulder, and finally managed to avoid antagonizing Xu Xiaoshou. He and I were the snipe and the clam, while you alone played the fisherman?"

"Oh, dear, Ancestor of Misfortune, you flatter me too much..."

"Will you speak, or not?"

"Oh, dear, Ancestor of Misfortune, I can't yet perceive the full scope of the situation, so how can I 'speak or not speak'?"

"Very well, you choose not to speak!"

As the Ancestor of Misfortune's words fell, Dao Qiongcang lamented repeatedly on his end, but dared not respond recklessly, instead shifting the topic: "But here, I can offer Ancestor of Misfortune two choices."

The Ancestor of Misfortune scoffed inwardly. It was indeed cooperating with Dao Qiongcang and found this young man cunning and difficult to handle, yet it never believed he could be its equal in status, speaking from the same height.

Much less, to make it choose, and from choices *he* provided?

"Oh, dear, Ancestor of Misfortune, you misunderstand. It's not *I* who lets you choose; how could I be worthy! It's that what I don't know, I don't know, but I can find a way to help you know better!" Dao Qiongcang feigned helplessness.

Know what?

Know how Xu Xiaoshou's Will of Dao suddenly reached its ultimate realm?

The Ancestor of Misfortune became interested:

"Speak."

Seeing the focus successfully shifted and familiar control regained at the negotiating table, Dao Qiongcang's tone became calm again as he stated each point:

"One, proceed according to the original plan: if the enemy makes no move, neither do I."

"Two, Xu Xiaoshou holds the Ancestor of Misfortune puppet that sealed most of your consciousness. I still have a backup plan. If you wish, I can always let you regain all the power accumulated after your recovery."

"Three, instead of entering through the fractured gap in the Heavenly Ladder and the Time Rift, I can now open a convenient passage in the Shallow Southern Underworld, allowing your consciousness to descend into the Five Domains alone. What you do afterward is none of my concern."

This fellow...

The Ancestor of Misfortune secretly seethed with hatred.

No wonder Dao Qiongcang was described as a stubborn piece of meat, so difficult to deal with!

If you say he's useless, he can secretly open a gate for you to sneak in while the Saint Servants guard the two front lines.

But if you say he's useful, the first of these three strategies is practically meaningless, and the remaining two require *it* to charge into battle and actively uncover Xu Xiaoshou's secret, not to mention having to share it with Dao Qiongcang eventually.

Leaving aside everything else, if it really charged in like that, wouldn't it actively surface from underwater, becoming a thorn in everyone's side?

—Regardless of the outcome, it would no longer be able to hide.

"You'd better shut up!" the Ancestor of Misfortune spat in rebuke.

"Yes, Ancestor of Misfortune."

"...Speak!"

"Oh, dear, Ancestor of Misfortune, right now, it's truly not my place, Dao Qiongcang, to speak at the table, and I truly don't have that qualification. The enemy is in the open, I am in the shadows. If you ask me, good wine fears no deep alley, a good sword fears no late sheath. Don't think about anything, don't ask anything, continue to lie dormant. This is the best offense."

That actually makes sense...

Soon, the Ancestor of Misfortune realized it had been sidetracked; it had clearly started by asking about Xu Xiaoshou.

But this time, before it could ask, Dao Qiongcang's faint sigh came through the Soul Link:

"Even if Xu Xiaoshou has made progress in the Will of Dao, is it important to the overall situation?"

Indeed, not very important...

"Xu Xiaoshou certainly has secrets, otherwise, how could he have grown so much in just a year and a half? And since he 'naturally' broke through at the last moment, yet could only reach this level, it indicates that this is his limit. Has this gone out of control?"

Indeed, the ultimate realm of a single Dao is not even close to transcendence...

"Is Xu Xiaoshou key in this situation? Whether it's Hua Sheng's victory or Eight Respected Masters' victory, when the Ancestors finally descend upon the Five Domains, whose Dao will be contended for? Is it Xu Xiaoshou's unorthodox path, or the grand avenues between the Ancestor Gods? Should Ancestor of Misfortune only focus on Xu Xiaoshou, or on the Ancestor of Demons' spirit, body, and will uniting, and the Ancestor of Medicine, the Ghost of the North Locust, competing for the primary position?"

Indeed, compared to the Ancestor Gods, even Eight Respected Masters pales in comparison, let alone Xu Xiaoshou...

As the Soul Link transmission ended here, the Ancestor of Misfortune truly felt like it was "in the mountain but had an outsider point out the path."

And surprisingly, Dao Qiongcang really was somewhat useful.

Having this person as an advisor could sometimes allow it to relax its mind, not needing to think too much or struggle too much. He was a reliable external brain.

"One."

After calm deliberation, the Ancestor of Misfortune gave its answer.

"One" meant proceeding according to the original plan, keeping everything on hold. "Then why did you bother asking me all that nonsense..."

Through the Soul Link, Dao Qiongcang chuckled:

"As expected of the Evil Ancestor of Misfortune, 'One' is indeed the best choice!"

"Still the same words: you are in the starry sky, I am in the Five Domains. You monitor the Ancestor Gods, I monitor those beneath the Ancestor Gods. You are responsible for the grand scheme, I am responsible for clearing the messy obstacles on your chessboard. And finally, don't forget to help me bring down the Ancestor of Dao."

"As for Xu Xiaoshou, leave him to me, Ancestor of Misfortune. You can rest assured."

"He's back!"

At the Ancient and Modern Forget-Worry Tower, seeing Xu Xiaoshou open his eyes, Eight Respected Masters and Empty Hate knew that Xu Xiaoshou had returned from his task.

"How was it?"

Eight Respected Masters gestured for him to come and sit at the tea table.

He remained remarkably calm, as if unaware that an hour had passed or how chaotic the outside world had become.

It seemed that discussing the Dao with Xu Xiaoshou after his enlightenment, and conversing after his return from a task, was ten thousand times more important than engaging Hua Changdeng in battle.

"I gave Ancestor of Misfortune a sword, considering it a small revenge in advance..."

Xu Xiaoshou smiled as he stood up, proactively announcing the major event.

Then, as the two showed surprise, he seamlessly activated "Secluded from the World" for a second before instantly deactivating it.

He noticed that in that instant, the surprise in Eight Respected Masters' and Empty Hate's eyes turned into confusion, then back to surprise.

He knew then that it had truly worked.

He had prevented Ancestor of Misfortune from casting the spell in the past.

In the future, he naturally would not have been affected by the Inversion of Forgottenness.

Of course, Xu Xiaoshou didn't dare to be too reckless. His Power of Renown had only blinded one of the Evil Ancestor's eyes at that time; he absolutely dared not wantonly destroy it.

The karma would be too great.

Who knows, if Ancestor of Misfortune's desire for revenge flared up, it might directly descend from the Thirty-Three Heavens of the Heavenly Realm, completely disrupting all subsequent developments in the Divine Remains.

And if the timeline were to drastically change, a major upheaval affecting the next half year or more, the consequences would be immeasurable.

At that time, not only Ancestor of Misfortune and himself, but also all existences in the Divine Remains, and even the myriad living beings on the Holy Divine Continent, would surely suffer.

"Can't afford to provoke, can't afford to provoke."

And after completing his task in the past, Xu Xiaoshou did not forget the follow-up work.

On his way back, he tirelessly applied the strongest forgetting guidance from the Will of Dao to the Time River and himself.

"In the past, the Ancestor Gods made me forget; today, I shall guide the gods!"

Xu Xiaoshou already knew that including the Ancestor of Demons and Ancestor of Misfortune, all Ancestors, who commanded time, would surely detect that he had done something in the past.

He then pushed "Hidden" to its extreme:

"Whoever remembers me shall let go, whoever thinks of me shall forget, whoever places importance on me shall have their attention shifted to Eight Respected Masters, and not return."

"Must not act recklessly."

When facing time, one must still be cautious.

When facing Ancestor Gods, one must employ subtle tactics.

Being able to blind Ancestor of Misfortune, halt the Inversion of Forgottenness spell, and unseal "Hidden" and "Secluded from the World," Xu Xiaoshou was content.

If that final guidance succeeded in diminishing his presence in the eyes of the Ancestors, it would be an even better outcome.

Unfortunately, he couldn't see the result, nor could he actively probe for the outcome of the guidance, for that would no longer be "Hidden," but "adding feet to a painted snake" or "hiding one's head but showing one's tail."

"I have a question for you two..."

Walking leisurely to the tea table, Xu Xiaoshou had already put aside the matters of Ancestor of Misfortune and the guidance. Immediately, he felt the insights of the Mortal World beginning to unfold in his mind again.

At this moment, with his Will of Dao at 99%, Xu Xiaoshou could fully grasp these insights. While handling them with ease, he also forcibly retrieved the memories that had been controlled and not transferred by "Everyone" earlier.

Gan Shi Emperor Realm, Yuantong, Ancestor of Dao, the myriad aspects of the mortal world...

They surfaced!

Everything came to light!

And Xu Xiaoshou clearly saw Yuantong; the other side also sensed him. With a thought, he subtly opened "Secluded from the World" for a moment, perfectly avoiding eye contact with Yuantong.

I am too strong...

Xu Xiaoshou could barely suppress the curve of his lips. The feeling of being able to use "Secluded from the World" again was simply too wonderful.

He settled onto the wooden stool, not even looking at the tea offered by Empty Hate, or the subtle gesture from the door-shaped pendant hanging from his hand. He asked directly:

"Do either of you know of the 'Ancestor of Dao'?"