Chapter 426: Giant Yang Reborn, Master and Disciple Unite to Shatter the Void (Part Two)

When Liu Tianning revealed his breakthrough idea, Zhao Xing felt a genuine surge of admiration.

Heaven and Earth are vast, yet merely a single entity within the Great Void!

The Grand Void Grass Puppet is an advanced version of the Great Sun Grass Puppet, which, as its name suggests, possesses the indestructible golden body characteristic of Qi-sect martial artists. Many Qi-sect martial artists would absorb teammates into their bodies for protection. As an advanced version, the Grand Void Grass Puppet's concept takes this further, becoming even more vast, boundless, and all-encompassing, like an infinite universe. That's why Liu Tianning stated that the Grand Void is formless, the true essence of Qi, its assembly and dispersion merely transient manifestations.

It was therefore a logical deduction that the planets connected by the grey mist resembled the internal structure of the Grand Void Grass Puppet. This led to the conclusion that the second trial Zhao Xing was undergoing, a scene filled with countless mysteries, was in fact a localized manifestation within the Grand Void Grass Puppet's body.

"Master truly is the unparalleled Grass Puppet Art master from the Xuanhuang Realm era. Without truly experiencing the trial's interior, merely observing and listening for three years, he comprehended so many profound secrets," Zhao Xing couldn't help but exclaim.

"You don't need to flatter me. During the Origin Realm period, I couldn't create great divine abilities myself; your Great Sun Revival is truly astounding," Liu Tianning said with a faint smile. "I haven't studied as widely as you. These past years, following Lord Qianhua, I've only focused on cultivating the Grass Puppet Art."

"I also cultivated the Great Sun Grass Puppet Art. After you gave me that technique, I developed a strong desire for the legendary Void Ancestor series of Grass Puppet Arts, and I've been searching for its secret manuals ever since. It's only natural that I know a bit more."

Zhao Xing nodded. Old Liu was very dedicated; even after entering the cosmic era, he still preferred to cultivate the Grass Puppet Art. To avoid repeating past mistakes, he had also cultivated mind and soul divine abilities, making it effortless to control his Grass Puppet avatars. It was precisely because of Liu Tianning's breakthrough that Da Zhou's combat strength at the Dao Domain realm was considerable, as Old Liu alone could stand in for many Dao Domain realm experts.

"Alright, let's stop chatting. Your cultivation time in the Primordial Realm is precious, so focus and try to complete it as soon as possible."

"Yes," Zhao Xing replied, closing his eyes.

Meanwhile, inside the Grand Void Grass Puppet.

The Great Sun avatar began to move ceaselessly, meticulously recording every detail of the Grand Void space.

"The life-filled grey mist is dynamic, constantly flowing and changing."

"Many celestial bodies float within the mist, each corresponding to the origin of a certain life form."

"If you combine them and view them in miniature—"

Zhao Xing's hands moved, using spiritual energy to construct everything he saw in the space. Soon, a miniature life schematic appeared.

"It's like the acupoints and meridians of the human body, and the mist seems to be a combination of vitality and magical energy."

After reconstruction, Zhao Xing adopted a unique perspective and managed to piece together a rudimentary three-dimensional internal map of the human body. It was only rudimentary because many celestial bodies were out of place, making it impossible to interpret them according to the usual correspondence between acupoints and stars. Furthermore, the flow of the grey mist consistently interfered with Zhao Xing's deductions and calculations.

"With my current mental capacity, even to the point of exhaustion, it would be difficult to fully grasp it. An exhaustive method makes it impossible to uncover the profound mysteries within the Grand Void Grass Puppet."

Even if he knew how to pass the trial and guessed correctly, the sheer volume of calculations and work involved meant success still seemed distant. Zuo Qiyu's trial was, by its very nature, designed to be challenging. Zhao Xing was now facing the deliberate obstruction of a Reincarnation Emperor.

"One step at a time, first, move the celestial bodies."

After a moment of thought, the Great Sun avatar began to act. "Bigger, bigger, BIGGER!!"

The Great Sun Grass Puppet grew to its five-extreme size, then began moving the celestial bodies like a diligent bee. One by one, the celestial bodies, including shattered star remains, were transported by Zhao Xing to their designated positions.

"Boom~"

His divine sense was suddenly eroded. The celestial bodies connected by the grey mist, which subtly aligned with life's meridians, emitted a consciousness akin to a life instinct, shaking Zhao Xing's divine thoughts away.

"Did I do it right, or did I do it wrong?"

Zhao Xing's divine thoughts were almost expelled from the Great Sun Grass Puppet's body. Immediately after, he saw that under the impact of the grey mist, the celestial bodies shifted once again, as if he had built a sandcastle on the beach, only for it to be washed away by the misty ocean before he could admire it. The celestial bodies, which had been painstakingly arranged, once again became disorganized, scattering like loose sand.

"Again."

Zhao Xing continued moving them. The second time, just as he was about to move the celestial bodies to their designated positions, the Great Sun avatar carried some vines and swung them towards multiple celestial bodies.

"Stem Combat Divine Ability, transform!"

The unremarkable vines immediately transformed into a void-type, gaining the ability to traverse the void and extend their length. Zhao Xing named the mutated vines "Star-Locking Vines," using them to fix the celestial bodies in place. The Star-Locking Vines seemed to become a second set of meridians between the celestial bodies. A portion of the mist shifted direction, beginning to flow along the branches of the Star-Locking Vines, circulating between the celestial bodies.

"It's done."

The vine meridians resonated with the stellar trajectories, and for the first time, Zhao Xing felt the world beyond cosmic space. He saw Zuo Qiyu atop Primordial City, the Five Poisons Emperor, and also himself and Fairy Youling outside the city. At the same time, he also seemed to perceive a colossal shadow standing amidst the chaotic void currents of the Dao Ancient layer. The entire Primordial City seemed to shrink into insignificance.

"Is that the shadow of the Grand Void Grass Puppet? To be able to project into the Dao Ancient layer's void, truly terrifying—."

The moment the thought arose, both the Five Poisons Emperor and Zuo Qiyu looked over.

"Did he succeed?" the Five Poisons Emperor asked, somewhat startled. This time, he was genuinely shocked, instinctively blurting out, "That dog, did he really succeed?"

Zuo Qiyu glared at the Five Poisons Emperor, snorted coldly, and sent him flying with a slap. The observed vision shattered instantly, as if it had merely been an illusion.

"Snap!"

The vines suddenly bloomed with golden flowers, which then rapidly burst apart. The grey mist, like a torrent, once again crashed against the surrounding stars, and the second attempt ended in failure.

"Ignoring the grey mist and trying to replace it won't work," Zhao Xing mused. "There's no way I can bypass Zuo Qiyu's setup and substitute it."

"These operational trajectories—"

The floating stellar fragments suddenly vibrated violently, trailing galaxy-like luminous tails through the grey mist. Zhao Xing discovered that the arcs of the celestial bodies' movements subtly coincided with the flow of spiritual energy within the Great Sun Grass Puppet and parts of the Grand Dao of Life. The parabolic trajectories of three passing meteorites were like a flash of insight cutting through the dark sky.

"Snap!" The vines continued to break, and the rebound force even sent the Great Sun avatar flying, yet Zhao Xing became joyful.

"Hahahahaha, Senior Zuo, your technique, I, Zhao Xing, will surely claim it!"

"Disperse!"

Zhao Xing suddenly burst into laughter, allowing the vines to tear his Great Sun avatar to shreds. A teal life-fire ignited at his fingertips. He lit the incomplete body of the grass puppet, absorbing the foundational essence of the Great Sun Grass Puppet. Encasing his divine sense completely, he willingly leaped into the torrent of grey mist. The burning grass fragments transformed into countless fireflies, illuminating the mist of the boundless night sky. Zhao Xing's divine thoughts continuously split and converged with the flow. The seemingly chaotic stellar fragments began to flicker at a specific frequency, and a gigantic human meridian map, composed of light points, emerged within the grey mist. As time rotated to a certain moment, the entire boundless night sky seemed to be filled with all of Zhao Xing's consciousness.

"Thump!"

From the depths of the void, a sound like a heartbeat seemed to echo, resembling booming thunder, as if a will that had slumbered for eons was awakening. Zhao Xing felt his consciousness being pulled into a mystical dimension. Here, he was simultaneously a tender sprout breaking through the soil and a withered leaf drifting towards the earth. When the Great Sun avatar's materials had completely burned away, the universe became desolate and dim, yet he saw all the stars and the swirling grey nebulae.

"Boom!"

With the second heartbeat, thunder roared, and the entire secret realm began to collapse.

Inside Primordial City, the Grand Void Grass Puppet, with only its colossal head visible outside and the rest of its body in the Dao Ancient layer's void, opened its eyes. Zhao Xing's ethereal figure appeared within its eyes, bowing respectfully to Zuo Qiyu from afar.

"Greetings, Senior."

The voice was very faint, yet it was transmitted.

The Five Poisons Emperor's head popped out of the pit. Looking at Zhao Xing's ethereal figure in the grass puppet's eye, he couldn't help but gape. "Incredible, truly incredible—this is even stronger than that beast Zuo Qiyu took in back then."

Zuo Qiyu, standing atop the city wall, had a complex expression flash in his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure.

"You've passed the trial."

Zuo Qiyu waved his hand, and Zhao Xing's divine sense instantly returned to his main body. At the same time, his main body suddenly vanished from the Boundary River and reappeared inside Primordial City. The Five Poisons Emperor, however, was kicked out of Primordial City.

"Damn, he's so stingy, can't even take a peek," Five Poisons grumbled as he departed.

"Disappeared?"

Fairy Youling's eyes widened. She looked towards Zhao Xing's main body, only to find he was no longer there.

"Could it be that he... passed the trial?"

Inside Primordial City, below the Grand Void Grass Puppet's head, Zuo Qiyu looked at Zhao Xing and got straight to the point.

"Which type of Grass Puppet Art do you wish to learn?"

Zhao Xing cupped his hands and replied, "Whatever Master teaches, I will learn."

Zuo Qiyu sneered, "You truly are greedy enough."

Zhao Xing remained silent, merely lowering his head in acceptance of the instruction. When conversing with a grandmaster like Zuo Qiyu, it was best to be direct. Zhao Xing was now indicating that he wanted to learn everything!

"For every additional Grass Puppet Art you learn from me, your soul will undergo a great rending."

"Let me tell you, I have no hope of reaching the Demigod realm in this lifetime, precisely because my soul is incomplete. Anyone who cultivates the Void Ancestor Grass Puppet Art, including its founder—"

"Do you still wish to learn it now?"

Zhao Xing pondered, then said, "The Heavenly Dao has its constant ways, with ebbs and flows. Since Master has been touched by the unseen forces, the Grass Puppet Art must be unparalleled. And I believe there should be a way to compensate for its drawbacks."

"There is no way to compensate," Zuo Qiyu shook his head.

"Why are you so certain, Senior?" Zhao Xing wondered.

"Because the Void Ancestor Grass Puppet Art was created by Senior Gu Tianyang."

"Gu Tianyang was a descendant of the Heavenly God Gu Xiao, and he had a younger brother named Gu Luohe."

"What?" Zhao Xing's heart skipped a beat. He hadn't expected such a connection here.

"Senior Gu Tianyang never resolved this issue before the limit of his true spirit. I didn't resolve it after learning it either, and your current master, Senior Gu Luohe, has also studied it," Zuo Qiyu stated. "From the moment you master the Grand Void Grass Puppet until you achieve the Primordial Grass Puppet, you will experience a total of ninety-one rendings."

"This great rending of the soul cannot be compensated for, and once the Grand Void Grass Puppet is mastered, there is no way to mitigate it."

"So, learning this technique means the Reincarnation Emperor realm is the limit?" Zhao Xing asked.

"Yes," Zuo Qiyu nodded.

"Master, there's something I don't understand," Zhao Xing said. "The three upper volumes of the Void Ancestor consist of three types: Primordial, Reincarnation, and Origin. So, the Void Ancestor Grass Puppet Art should also have three Grand Daos. Why did Master only mention the Primordial Grass Puppet?"

"Because before Senior Gu Tianyang's demise, no one had learned the Origin Grass Puppet or the Reincarnation Grass Puppet. In the entire Xuanling Starfield, only I inherited one of them."

"However, that's not important. Senior Gu Tianyang didn't resolve this issue in his lifetime either. The three techniques are independent of each other, without any connection."

"As for your claim that it's unparalleled, that is indeed true."

"This technique holds absolute dominion over all Grass Puppet arts."

"In my presence, no grass puppet can be effective."

Zuo Qiyu waved his hand. The next moment, all of Zhao Xing's grass puppet avatars lost connection, including those far away in the Jiachen-14 Pass and the Beihe Star System. In Liu Tianning's spiritual palace, Zhao Xing's consciousness also suddenly vanished.

"Woosh~"

All of Zhao Xing's fragmented divine thoughts were instantly forced back into his main body by Zuo Qiyu.

"What?"

Zhao Xing was startled, for his grass puppets hadn't disintegrated, but their control had been taken over by Zuo Qiyu.

"If I so choose, no one in the Primordial Realm, or even within the Empire, will be able to condense a Grass Puppet Dharma Body, nor will Grass Puppet arts be able to advance even an inch," Zuo Qiyu stated calmly, uttering a terrifying truth.

He seemed to stand at the very end of the Grand Dao of Grass Puppets; the entire Dao was under his absolute control, capable even of sealing off cultivators on this path. His technique was almost a Dao. Zuo Qiyu's ability, though not that of a demigod, surpassed it!

"I'll learn it," Zhao Xing said without hesitation. The inability to break through to the Demigod realm was a matter to consider later. Moreover, with his experience from the Xuanhuang Realm era, what Gu and Zuo couldn't achieve, he might not necessarily fail to. Paths are forged by people. Didn't Old Liu nearly go insane back then? Yet, his drawbacks were resolved by himself!

"Since you insist, if anything happens later, you cannot blame me," Zuo Qiyu said, his demeanor appearing to turn cold as he spoke these words.

"Your student will have no regrets," Zhao Xing respectfully replied.

Zhao Xing respectfully replied, but Zuo Qiyu still didn't soften his expression. "Although I will impart this technique to you, you must not claim to be my disciple to outsiders, nor mention my name if anything happens."

"I will only teach you for a thousand years. You don't need to call me 'Master.' If you want to be respectful, call me 'Senior.' If not, calling me by my name is fine too."

This wasn't the first time Zhao Xing had heard such a statement, so he wasn't surprised and quickly changed his address: "I shall respectfully follow Senior's instructions."

After this, he set a schedule with Zuo Qiyu for future discussions. Then, Zuo Qiyu waved his hand again, and everything returned to normal, with Zhao Xing regaining control of his avatars. His main body was also instantly teleported out of the Boundary River.

In his hand was a jade talisman engraved with a dark golden grass puppet pattern. This was the foundational technique for the Grand Void Grass Puppet. Zhao Xing was just about to return to the Huailiu Courtyard to study it when someone blocked his path.

"Zhao Xing, Zhao Xing—"

"Who?"

Zhao Xing looked up and found himself in front of the Five Poisons Emperor.

"Greetings, Senior Five Poisons."

"No need for formalities, no need," Five Poisons said, the wrinkles on his face bunching together, making his eyes almost disappear.

"May I ask why Your Imperial Majesty called for me?" Zhao Xing inquired.

"Zhao Xing, did Zuo Qiyu accept you as a disciple?" Five Poisons asked.

"No," Zhao Xing replied regretfully. "Senior only said he would impart the technique to me, but I'm not to declare myself his disciple to outsiders." This was different from Gu Luohe; although Gu Luohe was entrusted by Old Qing, he at least maintained the superficial title of master-disciple, meaning Zhao Xing didn't need to deliberately shed the label of Gu Luohe's disciple. Zuo Qiyu, on the other hand, seemed cold and ruthless, not even bothering with superficialities.

"That's great!" the Five Poisons Emperor muttered.

"What did you say, Senior?"

"Oh, I said it was a great pity," the Five Poisons Emperor feigned regret. "However, you don't need to blame Zuo Qiyu for being cold. Back then, he took a disciple—"

"Senior, perhaps I shouldn't know about this," Zhao Xing interrupted.

"It's fine, many people know about it, they just don't dare to mention it," the Five Poisons Emperor said nonchalantly. "Back then, he had a disciple who inherited the Primordial Grass Puppet Art and later cultivated to the Reincarnation Emperor level. But that beast ultimately betrayed him."

"It was after that incident that Zuo Qiyu stopped taking disciples. Even this current transmission of technique is merely to comply with the rules set by the Great Emperor and Senior Gu."

Zhao Xing nodded. These past events mentioned by Five Poisons were also the reason behind the current surge in trial attempts.

"However, most people only know what happened, not why it happened," the Five Poisons Emperor said slowly. "For example, why Zuo Qiyu was betrayed by his disciple, and why he doesn't even transmit techniques—"

"Why did you stop, Senior?" Zhao Xing asked, just as he was getting interested, but the Five Poisons Emperor had paused.

"Hahahaha, we'll discuss that later. There's another important matter to discuss first," the Five Poisons Emperor said.

"Please proceed, Senior."

"Zhao Xing, I know that Senior Gu Luohe accepted you as a disciple for certain unspoken reasons, isn't that right?"

Zhao Xing implicitly agreed.

The Five Poisons Emperor's eyes darted. "Right? This matter was originally meant for me to take you as a disciple. Who would've thought that old beast would interfere and displease Senior Gu Luohe? Zhao Xing, look, you're essentially without a master right now, aren't you?"

Zhao Xing thought of Liu Tianning and shook his head. "I have one."

The Five Poisons Emperor's beard twitched. Why was this child so oblivious? Could Gu Luohe and Zuo Qiyu truly be considered masters? However, Zhao Xing's current value had risen too much, so the Five Poisons Emperor cast aside his pride and immediately said, "Zhao Xing, I think you should just become my disciple."

"I, the Five Poisons Emperor, am definitely not as cold as them."

"Let me tell you a little secret first. Only a few people in the Empire know about this: in the Simoon Desolate Region in the northwest of the Empire, something is about to—"

Zhao Xing showed little interest in this. The Empire's development of the Great Northwest was no longer a secret. Was the Five Poisons Emperor trying to coax a child?

"Senior, I am still nominally Senior Gu's disciple, so it wouldn't be appropriate to take you as a master," Zhao Xing politely declined.

The Five Poisons Emperor became anxious. "You might have a life-or-death battle with Zuo Qiyu in the future. Perhaps I, your master, could even help you. Don't be ungrateful, kid!"

Zhao Xing hadn't paid much attention initially, but the Five Poisons Emperor's words immediately piqued his interest. "Senior, what do you mean by that?"

The Five Poisons Emperor said, "Are you going to accept me or not?"

"Master," Zhao Xing immediately knelt down to acknowledge him as his teacher. The Five Poisons Emperor's reputation also mattered. He had asked once, then twice; Zhao Xing couldn't refuse him again. Besides, Gu Luohe would certainly hear about this, and he hadn't forbidden Zhao Xing from finding another patron. Given the Five Poisons Emperor's persistence, it would be excessive for Zhao Xing to hold back any longer.

"Master, please accept a bow from your disciple."

"Good, good, good," the Five Poisons Emperor beamed with joy, helping Zhao Xing up. "My good disciple, quickly rise."

"Can you tell me now?" Zhao Xing asked. "Why did you just say that I would have a life-and-death battle with Senior Zuo?"

The Five Poisons Emperor glanced left and right, then transmitted in a low voice, "The Primordial Grass Puppet Art cannot break through to the Demigod realm. Zuo Qiyu must have told you this."

Zhao Xing nodded. A deficient soul, an old problem indeed.

"Actually, there's a hidden secret within this. Zuo Qiyu's disciple back then also cultivated to the Reincarnation Emperor level. The reason he betrayed him was because that disciple found an ancient text by the founder, Gu Tianyang. It is said that only by killing another Primordial Grass Puppet and devouring its true spirit can this drawback be remedied."

"And because of this, Zuo Qiyu's disciple ambushed him one day."

"What?" Zhao Xing was stunned. Such a thing existed?

"Master, you're not joking, are you?"

The Five Poisons Emperor said seriously, "How could I be joking? Zuo Qiyu stands at the very end of the Grand Dao of Grass Puppets. Where he is, no one's Grass Puppet arts can surpass him; they are subject to his manipulation and dominion."

"In the struggle for the Grand Dao, when you encounter an obstacle on your path, you either avoid it, step over it, or become it."

"His disciple wasn't insane. If it wasn't for cultivation on the Grand Dao, why would he do such a thing? Heh, it's quite possible!"