Chapter 1916: Dao Heart

Xu Xiaoshou's eyes narrowed.

These words were ambitious and clear, essentially skipping the process and going straight for the result.

If it were true, whether Dao Qiongcang and Dao Peipei were the same person would be completely irrelevant.

Dao Qiongcang was greedy! He wanted Qian Shi Shengdi's Way of the Stars, Qian Shi Dijuan, and the Starry Sky Dao Yuan.

If only one could remain, no matter how things developed in between, Dao Qiongcang would eventually find a way to swallow Dao Peipei. Conversely, Dao Peipei would do the same.

In essence, this was not much different from Bei Huai's research, but there was one point that seemed to surpass it:

If Dao Qiongcang and Dao Peipei were truly one person, the unstated implication of this statement would be even stronger.

It would still be a matter of only one remaining, but it would inevitably lead one to ponder whether there was a "two-in-one" idea at play.

And what Dao Qiongcang had just said, that he would not follow Nuo's "cultivate myself" but wanted to find a new path.

Would swallowing Dao Peipei, or Dao Peipei swallowing Dao Qiongcang, be part of their respective plans, willingly done by both, and it would just come down to who had the superior means in the end?

"I..."

This was diametrically opposed to Nuo Zu's Way of the "Self," leaning towards another extreme.

But combined with Dao Qiongcang's research in the Dao Department, the secret agents hidden within the Red Clothes and White Clothes, the missionaries spreading their doctrine throughout the Tiān Jī Shén Jiào-辐射 Yi Yu, the tens of millions of Tiān Jī Kuǐlěi army beyond the starry sky of the Divine Relic, and the Yan Sheng in the Northern Region Tian Meng who could be called "San Hao"...

"He?"

Calling it "his" Way was a bit vague.

Xu Xiaoshou was more inclined to "differentiation," "anchoring," and even a familiar word—"Ping"!

The "Ping" of Shan Hai Ping!

This single character "Ping" seemed unremarkable on its own.

Combined with the Way of Memory cultivated by both Dao Qiongcang and Dao Peipei, it was simply a perfect match.

It was nothing more than using the various Tiān Jī Kuǐlěi avatars that had been "differentiated" to deepen the impression of the various Dao Dianzhu in the minds of the people of the five regions, thereby "anchoring" the self through external means—this was called "Ping."

This was very circuitous.

And very much about memory.

It was exactly the kind of move Dao Qiongcang and Dao Peipei would make.

Similarly, with memory as the "Ping," whether Dao Peipei swallowed Dao Qiongcang or Dao Qiongcang swallowed Dao Peipei, after the "two-in-one" concluded upon ascending to the supreme realm, the Grand Dao would be consolidated, and the self would be clear—after all, only one would remain in the end.

All remaining Tiān Jī Kuǐlěi avatars would be withdrawn or cut off, and the different images of the Dao Dianzhu in people's memories would merge into one, transforming into the unique "Self" in the eyes of others.

Was this not another way to cultivate "clarifying myself"?

Whether it was called "Self" or "His Self," human eyes cannot see themselves clearly, but by using bronze as a mirror, and the memories of others as a mirror, one can straighten one's clothes and clarify oneself!

Xu Xiaoshou was struck with awe.

Regardless of Sheng Mo, Yao Gui, or Shu Xie.

What he had seen so far was an obsession with their respective Ways, as if the more they contended, the more chaotic it became, with very few clear "clarifying myself" specific cultivation processes.

But on Dao Qiongcang, the priorities were clear, the steps distinct, and it was so calm that it was like an outsider plotting against himself!

He simply didn't care which Way achieved transcendence first, or which self was first titled a god or an ancestor, because he knew it was important, but not the most important.

After mastering memory, and even before memory had reached its peak, he had already fully clarified his next step.

Being titled a god or an ancestor was not the primary goal.

First, clarifying oneself was the key.

The "Self" that the Ten Ancestors had lost for countless years, Dao Qiongcang had only used over thirty years of planning, and now it was showing results!

And...

"It seems, it really can be achieved?"

Xu Xiaoshou didn't need to analyze much.

Just thinking about it, he felt that the path Dao Qiongcang wanted to take had a high probability of success, as long as no accidents occurred in the middle.

And the variables representing accidents, in the eyes of the unpredictable Dao Qiongcang, were basically all firmly grasped and guarded against.

Genius?

Which of the Ten Ancestors wasn't a genius?

Which of the Ten Zunzuo wasn't a genius?

But in the end, it seemed they could only rely on intuition, as there was no one leading the way, and they could only take one step at a time.

Only Dao Qiongcang...

Someone who could calculate the Grand Dao in such a way, organize everything chaotic, and always keep it under control, nipping variables in the bud—if he couldn't succeed in cultivation, who else could?

"Troublesome!"

Xu Xiaoshou felt pressure once again.

The Ten Zunzuo, in terms of swordsmanship, belonged to Ba; in terms of thought, to Cao; in terms of power, to Shen. These were visible talents.

Dao Qiongcang's invisible kind...

It truly echoed the evaluations of Lao Ba and Xiang Yi: stripped of his disguise, Dao Qiongcang, hidden behind others, truly began to exert his power!

"However, this is just my own wishful thinking."

Xu Xiaoshou frowned in reflection. Dao Qiongcang had only said, "There is, and can only be, one Dao Zu," and the rest was just his own conjecture.

Perhaps Dao Qiongcang wasn't taking this path at all?

Perhaps he had overestimated him, and Dao Qiongcang, like others, was taking one step at a time?

"No..."

This was too much wishful thinking!

With Dao Qiongcang's calculating ability, for a single sentence to make him immediately think of these things, it meant that he had already deduced them countless times.

Even, he had already obtained a more subtle path and was already profoundly practicing it...

The Ling Xi Shu remained silent.

Dao Qiongcang, on his end, seemed to know how much his words could inspire speculation.

"I understand."

After Xu Xiaoshou replied after a long pause, the other side immediately responded:

"How about it, after much thought, my Dao indeed doesn't conflict with your Dao, Master Shou, does it?"

This guy...

This sentence was definitely a trick.

"How do you know what a fish thinks, if you are not a fish?" How could he know what Xu Xiaoshou was thinking?

But his attitude was particularly obvious.

Just as Xu Xiaoshou was wary of him, Dao Qiongcang was also afraid of his unpredictability, which might disrupt his rhythm and push the development of all matters back countless years.

Just like this unexpected encounter with Yan Sheng?

From this perspective, the highest level of cooperation, akin to conspiring with evil, truly seemed to be the best option?

Xu Xiaoshou did not respond immediately.

He carefully reconsidered various details and still felt that even haggling with the Three Ancestors and Kong Yuhen was not as good as collaborating with Dao Qiongcang alone.

He had made his decision.

"Dao Qiongcang, I was initially planning to reap the benefits, but you've said so much, I'd really be embarrassed not to share anything with you."

"Master Shou, I'm all ears."

"Actually, if I gave these things to others, I would truly demand repayment and require him or them to make a choice."

"Thank you."

"I'll only give you three words. How much you can discern depends on your own ability to find it. You don't need to make a superior choice, a medium choice, or an inferior choice, but similarly, don't ask too many questions."

"Master Shou, please speak."

At this point, Xu Xiaoshou hesitated slightly.

After all, these things could be given to Kong Yuhen and the Three Ancestors. Knowing was knowing, not knowing was not knowing. They probably couldn't make sense of it.

Dao Qiongcang, however, was too unpredictable; it truly might not be the case!

But since he had decided, being wishy-washy would make him seem indecisive. It was only three words anyway, so Xu Xiaoshou stated them frankly:

"Shi, Ming, Nuo."

The Ling Xi Shu instantly fell silent. Faintly, it seemed he could hear the heavy heartbeat from the other side.

Xu Xiaoshou glanced at Dao Peipei, who was still focused on the beast chess game in front of him, and realized it wasn't Dao Qiongcang's, nor Dao Peipei's.

The heartbeat was his own.

After a long while, Dao Qiongcang's voice finally came through: "I just have one question..."

"I said, don't ask," Xu Xiaoshou interrupted.

"Just one!"

"...Then I'll have many questions to ask later, okay?" Xu Xiaoshou already had a countermeasure; he was merely bargaining before a big ask.

"I will tell you everything I know."

Dao Qiongcang chuckled, then directly asked: "Is it Kong Yuhen recreating the Six Gates of the Time Realm, or the Demon swallowing the Time Ancestor? Which one is Master Shou betting on?"

Goodness!

Xu Xiaoshou's heart stirred. He couldn't help but marvel at the depth of this question.

It was clearly not a long sentence, yet it compressed questions such as "Is Kong Yuhen the Time Ancestor?", "Did Kong Yuhen gather the six gates in the Gu Jin Wang You Lou and reach cooperation with you?", and "Is one of the Demon Ancestor's intentions to try and understand why the Time Ancestor could become a god or ancestor without the Ancestral God's fate?"

For a moment, Xu Xiaoshou even mistakenly thought that Dao Qiongcang knew about the Demon Ancestor asking him to collect all the Kong Yuhen in the river of time when they met on it.

On second thought, he probably didn't know, perhaps only guessing vaguely, but it turned out to be almost spot on.

The unpredictable Dao Qiongcang still had some tricks up his sleeve!

Xu Xiaoshou did not beat around the bush; he responded directly:

"I'm betting on the former."

"Why?" Dao Qiongcang followed up promptly.

Strictly speaking, this was the second question, and Xu Xiaoshou could choose not to answer.

He chuckled lightly, unconcerned, and said:

"Kong Yuhen, I consider him a friend."

This simple and blunt statement seemed to have stumped the calculating Dao Qiongcang, who remained silent for a long time.

It was as if in his world, such emotional things were utterly incomprehensible.

After a long pause, he finally transmitted his voice heavily:

"Master Shou, I will not let you down."

Ugh!

Xu Xiaoshou felt a shiver of disgust.

Why suddenly declare your feelings? You didn't fall in love with me, did you? I'm not into that!

Having given benefits, it was time to ask for repayment—Xu Xiaoshou was never polite with Dao Qiongcang.

He was too lazy to bother with what Dao Qiongcang could discern from the three words "Shi, Ming, Nuo"; what he could gain was his ability, what he couldn't was fate.

Changing the subject, Xu Xiaoshou brought the question back to the beginning:

"You just said that if the Ancestral God's fate was given to Kui Leihan, it was under guidance. What did you mean by that?"

Dao Qiongcang also disengaged very quickly.

Seeing that Xu Xiaoshou didn't say much about the "Shi, Ming, Nuo" matter, he easily suppressed his curiosity and replied seriously:

"Do you really have three Ancestral God's fates in your hand?"

"Yes."

"From the Demon Ancestor?" This question didn't actually need an answer, but Xu Xiaoshou didn't hesitate, affirming again:

"Yes."

Dao Qiongcang was silent for a moment, then spoke plainly: "Master Shou should be able to see that if the three Ancestral God's fates were given to the eight gods, their respective Ways would be half-circumvented and half-guided into being abolished. This is the Demon Ancestor's most superficial psychological hint, not even really guidance."

Xu Xiaoshou understood this point.

The birdcage effect, he knew it.

Someone once did an experiment: they gave a birdcage to a friend who didn't like keeping birds and had them hang it at home.

Afterward, whenever guests came, they would inevitably ask why there was only a birdcage and no birds. After a long time, the friend became annoyed.

The friend finally had no choice but to make use of the birdcage, which meant starting to keep birds. Everything made sense.

In the Divine Relic, after obtaining the Ancestral God's fate, Dao Qiongcang didn't immediately take it but gave it to himself. Was he also trying to make him keep birds? Xu Xiaoshou was too lazy to pursue it.

The three birdcages assembled by the Demon Ancestor must have been intended to trap the Eight God Generals. The one given by the Sword Ancestor might have been intended for Xu Xiaoshou himself?

In short, it was all scheming!

Yet these four were golden birdcages, invaluable, each equivalent to a fallback after a failed struggle, making it impossible to refuse.

But once in hand, giving them or not giving them became a burning question.

This was Xu Xiaoshou's thinking.

Directly merging two into one, resetting to zero, and clarifying oneself was one path.

Like the Demon Ancestor, Yao Gui, and Sui Yin, first becoming a god or ancestor, then gradually pushing towards the extreme, was also a path.

Only by staying alive could one rise again.

Giving away these golden birdcages might break Kui Leihan's determination to fight with his back against the wall.

However, those who are firm in their Way, like himself, would not constantly desire to use the golden birdcages simply because they possessed them.

Giving them was his business.

Whether to use them or not, Kui Leihan had his own considerations.

These people were not foolish. If the birdcages were given out, at least at a critical moment, they wouldn't completely perish because they failed a desperate fight and had no way to survive.

"You're taking it for granted, Master Shou."

Across the Ling Xi Shu, seeing no reply for a long time, Dao Qiongcang sighed lightly:

"I'm not criticizing your lack of careful consideration. Rather, I want to say that you didn't underestimate Ba Zun'an and Shen Yi because you know them."

"But you only had one encounter with Kui Leihan and don't know him deeply, thus you underestimated him, and not just a little bit."

Xu Xiaoshou's heart stirred: "How so?"

"You can give this Ancestral God's fate. Those who are firm in their Way naturally won't use it, but you've chosen the wrong recipient."

"You shouldn't have come to the Time Realm Rift to give Kui Leihan a fallback; he already has one."

"This Ancestral God's fate, perhaps you should consider... Cao Er Zhu."

Xu Xiaoshou's mind was suddenly filled with question marks, and for no reason, he heard the heart-wrenching "Are kings and nobles born of destiny?" echoing in his ears.

What was Cao Er Zhu now?

This Ancestral God's scheme had nothing to do with the simple-minded Pillar Treasure, not even half a spirit crystal, right?

To put it harshly, even if Er Zhu put in all his effort, he couldn't compare to a single strand of his father's hair. After all, the generational gap was there; it was truly difficult for ordinary people to shake it.

"Master Shou, true insights are found in subtle clues. Let me tell you this: don't look at the people, look at the weapons—the Three Ancestors won't care about these things, because they view everyone beneath them as ants, easily crushed."

"But what about you? Why did you abandon Yan Mang and You Si, using neither, and instead nurture Cang Ku? Why did Ba Zun'an seal Qing Ju and hide Jian Wo, not releasing them? Why did Ai Cang Sheng abandon Xie Zui and step out of the game, and Shen Yi held onto Ba Wang and wouldn't let go... Why did Kui Leihan alone, knowing that the Ancestral God was approaching, spend his early years in drunken stupor, disassembling his armor, and passing the Sky-Shattering Hammer to Er Zhu?"

"Did Cao Yi Han's Dao Heart shatter from the very beginning under my Martial Ban Edict collar, causing him to decide to give up struggling?"

Happy Lantern Festival! A big hug and a kiss, mua~

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