Chapter 1988: Bet Correct

At the crossroads, East Street.

Pressed against the wall of the Heavenly Secret Formation, Xu Xiaoshou stopped Dao Qiongcang with one foot, holding all four swords high, aiming at the back of Dao Qiongcang's head.

He actually had no intention of genuinely killing the flamboyant old Dao at that moment.

His crime wasn't punishable by death.

But it could be used as an excuse.

So, Xu Xiaoshou merely built up momentum with the sword, not even having the thought of stabbing it down.

Would the sudden withdrawal of killing intent scare Dao Qiongcang shitless?

It might very well!

Since Xu Xiaoshou moved with the four swords, he considered things extremely thoroughly.

He was thinking that when Ba Zun’an went “Step-to-Zero” back then, it must have, more or less, scared Dao Qiongcang.

After all, no one could calculate so perfectly, predicting even "Step-to-Zero" with such unwavering stability.

Didn't the rampaging Mo, Yao, and Sui suddenly quiet down at that time?

And Ba Zun’an’s thoughts, even before "Step-to-Zero", could borrow the names of ancient sword cultivators from various regions of the Five Domains for his own use.

Dao Qiongcang had displayed Grandmaster-level sword intent in the Divine Ruins, and it was invoked once, which he must have taken as a lesson.

Therefore, it could be reasonably suspected that a suspicious person like Dao Qiongcang, after witnessing all these things, regardless of whether he was Luo Jing, would absolutely take precautions against Ba Zun’an again.

He might very likely cripple himself, abolishing his Grandmaster-level sword intent to cut off any potential influence Ba Zun’an might have on him.

Then, conversely, the destructive power of the four swords against non-ancient sword cultivators would return.

Dao Qiongcang might not be completely influenced by the power of the fierce demon and lose control, like low-level Spirit Refiners.

But would a person like him allow himself to be distracted for even "a fleeting moment" during a major battle?

“Buzz!”

It was just a gamble, and it didn't matter if it failed.

But just as the four swords aimed, yet didn't fall, and even the killing intent had completely withdrawn, a bone-chilling coldness was suddenly felt.

At the same time, perception also clearly caught a red glint flashing in Dao Qiongcang’s eyes.

“He’s still hiding a killer move!”

How powerful this killer move was, however, was impossible to determine.

Xu Xiaoshou, at this instant, prepared for the worst, risking even activating the “Rampaging Golden Body”, and silently activated “Absolute Rejection and Balance”.

Beyond that, there were no extra defenses.

He merely put on a playful expression, as if he had everything under control, and holding the four swords, he stabbed downwards.

Resist me!!!

At this moment, only this thought remained in Xu Xiaoshou's mind.

He could accept Dao Qiongcang suddenly revealing his trump card and erupting during his current peak state.

If the result was a reversal, if he was outmatched, he would have nothing to say.

But what he couldn't accept was Dao Qiongcang keeping this card hidden, and then choosing to stab him in the back while he was fighting someone else later.

That would be too terrifying.

That would be a truly ignominious death.

“Whoosh!”

The four swords sliced through the air.

At the same time, Dao Qiongcang, who had been blown up and flattened into a paper-thin figure, suddenly had his facial features float up behind his head, staring directly at the four swords!

“Beep, beep, beep!”

“Warning! Warning! Warning!”

His brain was a complete mess, some parts reporting anomalies, some analyzing the battle, and some judging the possibility of survival.

Dao Qiongcang's forced backward glance, while struggling, also saw too many images.

There was the image of the four swords piercing his body, being controlled by the fierce demon's power, and in an instant, being completely pulverized by Xu Xiaoshou, with no possibility of resurrection.

There was the image of himself resisting the fierce demon's power of the four swords, launching a desperate counterattack, but Xu Xiaoshou, after one sword, still smiled at the corner of his lips, preparing for another sword.

“Illusion Sword Technique! Illusion Sword Technique! Illusion Sword Technique!”

The judgment of this Heavenly Secret Art, broadcast loudly in his mind, failed to attract much attention amidst the various anomalies.

At the brink of life and death, Dao Qiongcang could barely hear any sound.

Under that irrational, emotional judgment, Dao Qiongcang actually believed that Xu Xiaoshou couldn't possibly stab this sword.

In normal times, he would slap himself, knowing that emotions could never be predicted.

But that inherently formidable rationality, in the nick of time, in the form of thought inertia, generated countless thoughts in Dao Qiongcang's mind:

“He doesn't just have the four swords…”

“He has mastered the Dao of Names but hasn't used it…”

“He swallowed the space energy of the Medicine Ancestor but hasn't revealed it…”

“He still carries the True Stele of Origin, which might contain insights into power…”

“Also, none of his spirit techniques, which don't resemble Spirit Refinement Dao, have been used…”

To gamble?

Dao Qiongcang never gambled.

He would rather die than do something he wasn't confident about.

What he found even more unacceptable was to expose the existence of the Second Generation when Xu Xiaoshou was in his most perfect combat state.

He might not necessarily kill him!

Even if he could kill him, he might not be able to kill him thoroughly!

But it would allow Xu Xiaoshou to understand him more…

This meant that if there was any possibility of future negotiations, he would always be at a disadvantage, completely controlled by Xu Xiaoshou.

Moreover, walls have ears; it’s not certain that if he reveals his trump card now, Mo, Yao, and Sui wouldn't obtain this information through means even he doesn't know.

Anything that appears must leave a trace.

Any memory can be understood.

A trump card, by definition, means that once revealed, the opponent must die.

Even at death's door, Dao Qiongcang still believed that the relationship between Xu and Dao had not reached the point of life and death.

He could reveal his card, but this card shouldn't be revealed against Xu Xiaoshou.

If he failed to kill him, he would completely become the other party's pawn, subservient to him.

This isn't how one gambles.

Therefore, Dao Qiongcang directly rejected the Second Generation problem.

Kill me!!!

In a flash, after Dao Qiongcang turned his head, all the anomalies in his mind finally converged, leaving only this one sound.

He remained silent, his eyes wide, completely defenseless, staring intently as the four swords plunged towards him.

“Chirp!”

The fierce sword, You Si, pierced through his skull.

A string of blood, like jade marrow, splattered onto the street.

Dao Qiongcang stiffened, then shook twice, before collapsing backward like a rigid corpse.

“Meow!”

The greedy god, curled up beneath the broken wall, bristled, its cat claws tightly curled, watching the bloody scene with extreme tension.

But after three breaths, space cracked with snapping sounds.

The crossroads exploded with the sound of shattering mirrors, and all images splattered, revealing their original true appearance.

Dao Qiongcang was on his knees, his head raised, his eyes wide, waiting for death.

Xu Xiaoshou's sword hovered before his forehead; the tip of You Si had already pricked Dao Qiongcang's skin, but this final sword did not fall.

“Hoo!”

“Ho ho ho…”

“Ah ha ha ha ha…”

On the long street at night, only heavy breathing and wild laughter, suppressed and then fully unleashed, remained.

Like a gambling dog.

“You won.”

Xu Xiaoshou's expression was serene as he leisurely sheathed his sword.

He even turned off “Absolute Rejection and Balance”, stepping past the paper-thin figure in front of him and walking towards the deep pit.

Sizzle…

Life force erupted within Dao Qiongcang.

His body began to rapidly heal, but this wasn't important.

He scrambled to his feet, turned around, and stumbled, laughing wildly, trying to grab Xu Xiaoshou's sleeve, but failed.

“Why didn't you kill me?”

“Ah haha, my Xu, why didn't you kill me?”

“Could it be that, when it comes to me, you just can't bring yourself to do it?”

After only three to five breaths, the flamboyant old Dao had regained his mobility.

He trotted after Xu Xiaoshou, circling him from front to back, his eyebrows dancing with delight: “It seems my position in your heart isn't that light after all?”

“Teased, Passive Points, 1.”

Xu Xiaoshou suddenly halted, his eyelids twitching, staring at the fellow with a half-smile:

“You can fight.”

“Yes!” Dao Qiongcang nodded heavily.

He changed his damaged clothes, re-tightened his belt, then pulled out a comb and smoothed his messy long hair in a bronze mirror.

“But I can't beat you, you must know that, so why didn't you kill me?” He pressed, like a child bursting with curiosity.

Xu Xiaoshou half-closed his eyes, watching him finish re-tying his hair and adjusting his crown, then pulling the bronze mirror closer to wipe off the remaining blood from his face.

He silently shook his head and continued walking towards the deep pit.

“Why, why, why?”

Dao Qiongcang clung to him, chasing from behind, as if he wouldn't give up until he got an answer today.

Xu Xiaoshou stopped again, looking at the flamboyant fellow who had already tidied himself up as if nothing had happened in just ten breaths or so, and said:

“Dao Qiongcang, let’s cooperate.”

“Oh?” Dao Qiongcang raised his eyebrows high, “You clearly don’t trust me, so why are you suddenly willing to cooperate with me?”

“False benevolence, if maintained for a lifetime, then it is true benevolence and righteousness.” Xu Xiaoshou began walking again.

Dao Qiongcang was momentarily stunned by the words, but then his eyes brightened significantly, and he quickly followed: “My Xu, how could I betray you? Since we intend to cooperate for a lifetime, you and I… are fellow travelers!”

“You and I are both selfish people.”

“Yes! But cultivators, who isn't selfish? Not trusting each other doesn't mean we can't cooperate, does it?”

“Hopefully not.”

“If we unite against external threats, twisting into one rope…” Dao Qiongcang flipped his hand, and miraculously, a bundle of rope appeared from nowhere. He stretched it, and the rope remained tough as ever, “See, it won’t break!”

Xu Xiaoshou grabbed the rope, and with a gentle pull from both hands, it tore, splitting into two bundles.

He stopped, turned his head, and silently raised the broken ropes in his left and right hands.

“You’re messing around!” Dao Qiongcang scoffed, “I, for one, have no such intentions. Don't judge a gentleman by a villain's heart.”

Xu Xiaoshou chuckled, then resumed walking, saying as he went: “I once heard that you don’t hold grudges.”

“Uh-huh, I always repay grudges immediately, forget them by the next day, and never bring up past issues.”

“Then today I almost killed you. How do you plan to repay this grudge?”

“Is this a grudge?” Dao Qiongcang's expression was exaggerated, gesturing with both hands, “Grudges are grudges, resentments are resentments, probing is probing, vying is vying. What is what, after all, young man, I’ve cultivated the Dao for decades longer than you; I understand these things much more clearly!”

“So you’re planning to let me off?”

“Ah, haha…”

Dao Qiongcang let out two dry laughs, looking as if he wanted to speak but couldn't, truly an act of extreme affectation and deliberate pretense.

Xu Xiaoshou didn't stop, discarding the two bundles of rope. He retrieved a Sui Yin puppet from the apricot world and casually tossed it to the flamboyant old Dao.

“Wow!”

Dao Qiongcang quickly cupped it in his hands, examining it carefully.

There were no hidden imprints of the Dao of Intent, and not a single bit of its power had been transferred; this Sui Yin puppet was genuine.

“My Xu, you’re too good to me, boohoohoo…”

Dao Qiongcang, with snot and tears, cried as he formed hand seals, striking one imprint after another into the Sui Yin puppet, tightly following Xu Xiaoshou’s steps:

“Actually, I merely misspoke earlier. I know where I went wrong, but I didn’t get a chance to be honest with you.”

“Actually, I wanted this Sui Yin puppet not because I truly wanted to take something that could restrain me, but just to put a few more imprints on Sui Yin.”

“Let me tell you this: Sui Yin wants to seize the Devouring Body. I will stop him; he won't succeed.”

“He can’t take Bei Huai, but he won’t give up. There’s still a finger of Shen Yi inside the Blood World Pearl, you know?”

Xu Xiaoshou turned a deaf ear, having already entered the deep pit.

Dao Qiongcang continued to talk to himself, still planting imprints into the Sui Yin puppet. Who knows what kind of misfortune Sui Yin had suffered to be so targeted by this sinister individual?

“Sui Yin still wants to seize Shen Yi’s body!”

“But he has reservations, because this isn't the best time.”

“The Three Realms’ Shen Yi only gained the power of resentment. When that power dissipates, he ultimately won't be an opponent to the Demon.”

“At that time, when Shen Yi is weakened and his state is languid, that will be the best time for possession. But as long as I have this Sui Yin puppet, I can influence Sui Yin’s will and then lend Shen Yi a hand to help him resist possession.”

You truly are a good person.

You want to help everyone, you benevolent Daoist.

Xu Xiaoshou stood above the deep pit, seeing Bei Huai within it, completely eroded during his earlier skirmish with the flamboyant old Dao.

A vast amount of Sui Yin's evil energy wafted around him, purple mist condensing into a cluster, forming a life-preserving cocoon.

However, unlike the "Bai Yang" life-preserving cocoon of the Medicine Ancestor seen from Sui Yin's perspective before, this cocoon was filled entirely with the power of Sui Yin.

“Are you really not going to take this?”

Dao Qiongcang finished imprinting the Sui Yin puppet, asking only verbally, and without handing it to Xu Xiaoshou, he turned and retrieved the Blood World Pearl.

“What about this one?”

Seeing Xu Xiaoshou remain motionless, Dao Qiongcang chuckled, then stashed both the Sui Yin puppet and the Blood World Pearl, wrapped in black cloth, into his body.

Having done all this, he pointed at the purple cocoon in the deep pit, fuming:

“This fellow is arrogant, really not a good partner.”

“Crucially, if he succeeds, the countless wills within Bei Huai will be erased in an instant by the power of Sui Yin.”

“On the other hand, I previously had no method for this at all, but with the help of the Sui Yin puppet and the Blood World Pearl, I dare to give it a try…”

So noisy!

Xu Xiaoshou was utterly astounded.

Dao Qiongcang, having won the gamble, was outrageously triumphant.

It was as if he wished Xu Xiaoshou had thrown a few more shields and landed a few more punches on him earlier, so he could be compensated more later, and then he would be truly satisfied.

But you only talk and don't act, what's going on with you?

Xu Xiaoshou tilted his head to look at him.

Dao Qiongcang chuckled. After tearing through the last veil, he no longer needed to pretend at all. He directly stepped onto the River of Memories:

“Extreme Intent Dao. If I wanted to retrieve someone, all I could retrieve would be a powerless remnant consciousness.”

“Time Dao. If I wanted to go back and retrieve someone, it would involve too many connections and too much karma, easily leading to backlash.”

“Memory Dao, however, is different.”

Xu Xiaoshou was able to see the River of Memories again, examining it closely, and found it even more unfathomable.

At least, Kong Yuhen from the Holy Divine Continent couldn't achieve such a degree.

His River of Time was extremely faint, and it was only after summoning the image of the Time Ancestor that he could invoke nine-tenths of the River of Time's power.

Conversely, the Time Ancestor's River of Time in the world behind the three doors at that time, in terms of its reality and condensedness, could rival Dao Qiongcang's River of Memories.

It seems a bit backwards… Xu Xiaoshou asked in a concentrated voice, “What's the difference?”

“Retrieving someone with Memory Dao, I can also preserve the abilities that Shou Ye possessed within the River of Memories.”

“But likewise, his confusion and powerlessness will also be preserved, without any changes.”

“Thus, if Yao and Sui are eliminated later and the residual influences are gone, Shou Ye will recover and regain the ability to rise again, depending on his own fortune.”

What if they're not eliminated?

No need to ask.

If they're not eliminated, then Yao and Sui will succeed, Dao and Xu will be eliminated, and Shou Ye will have no chance to rise again.

And during the time between elimination and non-elimination, you, Xu Xiaoshou, will have to protect Shou Ye, and Shou Ye will be under my control, so will you protect me… Xu Xiaoshou knew Dao Qiongcang's little tricks all too well.

He welcomed it.

Cooperation was not just a joke.

He genuinely decided to go to the very end with Dao Qiongcang.

After all, if this person were let loose and became an enemy—Xu Xiaoshou had no proper method or solution, even when compared to the three ancestors, Mo, Yao, and Sui, the answer was still the same.

“Hoo!”

Within the purple cocoon in the deep pit, Dao Qiongcang performed a ritual, drawing out a light silhouette from within and placing it into the River of Memories.

It looked effortless…

But Dao Qiongcang’s face suddenly turned pale, as if he had been completely drained, subtly giving the impression that he was about to vomit blood in the next second.

So fake…

Was it truly effortless after all…?

“This River of Memories?” Xu Xiaoshou ignored the flamboyant old Dao, who was full of theatrical gestures, and asked, staring at the river.

“Are you talking about this?”

Dao Qiongcang swallowed a recovery pill, and his complexion improved somewhat. When he looked down at the river beneath his feet, he exerted a slight force, and the sound of gushing water could be heard.

In fact, Xu Xiaoshou could tell at a glance that it wasn't a recovery pill.

It was merely a compressed energy in the form of a pill, and it contained not holy power, but attribute-less chaotic power.

“I have divided the Dao into two types.”

Dao Qiongcang held up two fingers, looking quite pleased with himself: “One is combat-oriented, and the other is comprehension-oriented.”

Xu Xiaoshou's heart stirred. Even before he finished speaking, Xu Xiaoshou had already gained some insight.

Then he heard Dao Qiongcang continue: “Like Ba Zun’an and Shen Yi, they are combat-oriented; they don't need a River of Dao.”

“So, the strongest form of a comprehension-oriented Dao is to condense a River of Dao to amplify one's own power, and in this era, the only two who have achieved this are the Time Ancestor, and then you?” Xu Xiaoshou interrupted him.

Dao Qiongcang was stunned. His self-congratulatory speech was halfway interrupted, like finding a dung beetle's excrement in a Manchu Han Imperial Feast. His mouth twitched uncontrollably.

After a long while, he said sullenly: “Indeed!”

“Medicine Ancestor…”

“What He desires is to return to zero. What does it mean for the comprehension-oriented Daos of 'Life' and 'Reincarnation' to return to zero?” Dao Qiongcang lifted his chin, pointed to the River of Memories beneath his feet, and the corner of his lips curled up, saying no more.

He was truly flamboyant.

And truly powerful.

Xu Xiaoshou was somewhat surprised. If Dao Qiongcang wasn't boasting, hadn't he already stepped half a foot into the circle of the "Return-to-Zero" Ancestral Gods?

It was at this moment that Xu Xiaoshou received two messages consecutively.

One was from Mu Zili in the Apricot Realm; the matter he had instructed him about had some clues.

“Master Xu, as you expected, there has been a widespread confusion of memories among the people of the Five Domains.”

“Out of nothing, a ‘Dao Ancestor’ has appeared, whose legends and deeds have been passed down from ancient times to the present, all with traceable origins.”

“Some people believe… no, perhaps only a handful of us are left who believe that there is still a ‘Time Ancestor’ among the Ten Ancestors.”

“In the world of others, the Time Ancestor originated from outside the domain. The Ten Ancestors of the Holy Divine Continent are universally known: Sheng, Mo, Yao, Gui, Shu, Jian, Long, Zhan, Dao, Tian. This is the Ten Ancestors' formula passed down from ancient times.”

The Ten Ancestors’ formula…

Before he “enlightened” the Holy Divine Continent, even the Half-Saints and Saint Emperors in the Five Domains couldn't remember them, so where would a Ten Ancestors’ formula come from?

Xu Xiaoshou looked at Dao Qiongcang before him.

Dao Qiongcang blinked, furrowed his brows, then pulled out a bronze mirror to examine himself, but he only saw beauty and no blemishes on his face.

“What's wrong, my Xu?” Dao Qiongcang retreated half a step, his eyes evasive, feigning reluctance, “You’re acting strange…”

Xu Xiaoshou ignored him.

After a brief thought, his consciousness slipped away, knocking on the door of the Flower World, and sought out the Great Sword Saint Hua Weiyang from the Sword God Era.

“Brother Weiyang, you once had a flower convey a message to me, ‘Skill and Evil are One’. What came after that? I've forgotten.”

The Flower World was silent for a moment, then a ethereal voice drifted out:

“Skill and Evil are One, Gods and Demons are True Forms, Medicine and Ghosts are Birth and Death, Four Ancestors Reincarnate, only… Memory is Eternal!”

“Master Xu, what's wrong?”