Chapter 2064: Tai Shang

“Did you really guess it right?”

On the Saint God Continent, Xu Xiaoshou shattered the time realm with a single punch but still couldn't find Sheng Xin. Not even Kong Yuhan, who should have been severely injured by the backlash, had appeared. Xu Xiaoshou had already prepared ten drops of life elixir energy, waiting for Kong Yuhan to be blasted out so he could extend his life. But there was no one! They had all vanished!

Instead, an extra gaze seemed to emerge from the unknown, fixed upon him with eagerness and excitement. This will, clearly striving to connect with him, floated within the Sea of Intent Dao, yet he couldn't pinpoint its origin, though it felt incredibly real. In the end, it even activated his Reincarnation Proof and Two-Lives Manifestation, sending a clear, sharp shout:

“Manifest!!!”

A colossal, illusory mosquito flashed before his eyes, with many pairs of wings and black-gold variegated patterns on its body… What was that thing?

But this cry of “Manifest” wasn't unfamiliar. Wasn't it the incantation used by Nuo Ancestor when summoning that “mosquito” in the world behind the Three Gates?

Wait… Mosquito? Xu Xiaoshou’s thoughts suddenly froze.

Just then, from the other end of his Telepathy technique, Dao Qiongcang’s voice came through promptly: “What did I guess right?” He knew too well that his role here was merely a supporting one; Xu Xiaoshou's main battlefield was what truly determined his fate, and he dared not waste a single moment.

Xu Xiaoshou furrowed his brow in deep thought, struggling to sort out his somewhat jumbled thoughts. Finally, he pieced together a highly unlikely hypothesis: “My feeling is that Sheng Xin, through the time realm, seized Kong Yuhan’s Dao, and then used the Gate of Reincarnation and the Dao of Reincarnation to find my past self, hoping to destroy my current self by killing my past self?”

That was absurd! As he spoke these words, Xu Xiaoshou himself felt it was incredibly fantastical. But that calling from the unknown, so incredibly similar to his own will, yet made him, from the bottom of his heart, unwilling to easily dismiss this absurd theory. After all, it concerned the Dao of Time and Space, and Reincarnation. Just because he hadn't seen or experienced it didn't mean it couldn't be true. If Sheng Xin's wild, imaginative ideas were put into practice, he could truly be severely wounded, or even killed remotely.

“It’s not entirely impossible!” Dao Qiongcang immediately declared. “Time is divided into nine rivers, and the Time Ancestor has fallen. The Dao of Time and Space is inherently chaotic, which causes the past, present, and future to exist simultaneously. Even the Sword Ancestor could reverse time and space with his sword, travel to the past, meet the Demon Ancestor from countless eras ago, and subsequently be corrupted. If he finds the right method and combines it with the Dao of Reincarnation, Sheng Xin could absolutely do what you just described and find your past self.”

Xu Xiaoshou felt these words were both logical and absurd. If killing methods could be so bizarre, killing an unconquerable enemy in the present by striking at their past, wouldn't the Dao of Time and Space be invincible?

“Do you mean I can only meekly wait for death here?” Xu Xiaoshou scoured the shattered time realm again, but still couldn’t find any trace of Sheng Xin or Kong Yuhan. He tried to use his sword intent to trace whether Bazun An might also have been blown out by his punch, but to no avail. How long had that guy been searching for the New Heavenly Realm? He still hadn't shown up. In reality, he was just afraid of Sheng Xin and dared not come out—a timid lizard!

“What about you all? What do you think?” Xu Xiaoshou threw the same question to the Three Ancestors in the Extreme Severance space, trying to gain some wisdom from the old masters. After all, he had only cultivated for three years; how could he compare to the knowledge of these old timers?

Hua Changdeng remained silent. He was also a genius, becoming an Ancestor in only fifty or sixty years, so how could he understand killing methods that reverse time and space?

“I don’t think so,” the War Ancestor’s Dharma Aspect said with great certainty, shaking his head. “The Dao of Time and Space is too complex and chaotic. Sheng Xin has only seized the Dao for less than a quarter of an hour. How could he digest the Great Dao and unleash such a heaven-defying technique?”

To one side, Cuiyin Baby was amused and exasperated, scoffing and retorting, “The view of a fool, like a frog in a well—are you even qualified to speak?”

The War Ancestor didn’t get angry. He looked down disdainfully at Cuiyin Baby: “You’re smart, why don’t you explain?”

Cuiyin Baby raised his three chins, full of arrogance: “Let alone Sheng Xin, if this Ancestor were at full strength, I’d have at least a fifty percent chance of finding your past self, let alone killing them. What about Sheng Xin right now?”

“How do you mean?” Xu Xiaoshou quickly sent a thought.

“Ancestor Hua has cultivated for a very short time, perhaps he doesn’t know about these things. As for War Ancestor, he must have seen ‘Nuo,’ right?”

At these words, War Ancestor was stunned, and Xu Xiaoshou was also suddenly enlightened. That’s right, Nuo Ancestor could traverse endless time and space through avatars, finding Zun Ji, the most talented Ancestor God in the three thousand planes, to seek help. How could it be impossible for Sheng Xin, a Zero Ancestor?

“Continue,” Xu Xiaoshou felt that when it came to the use of these bizarre techniques, the knowledge of crude martial arts practitioners like himself was indeed vastly inferior to cunning individuals like Cuiyin and Dao Qiongcang.

However, Cuiyin suddenly faltered, his eyes slightly evasive: “But as for your past, Cuiyin does not know it deeply. Perhaps Dao Qiongcang also doesn’t know about related issues, but Dao Ancestor Yi Ji can clarify things for you.”

To put it simply, you’re just making rough guesses, acting like a hindsight strategist, aren’t you? Xu Xiaoshou felt that Dao Qiongcang was truly the 'dirtiest' one. He withdrew his thought and asked the flamboyant old Daoist on the other end of the Telepathy technique. Just in this short time, the flamboyant old Daoist seemed to have actually figured something out, replying:

“Don’t panic, the problem shouldn’t be too big.”

When you say that, I get scared! Xu Xiaoshou was about to speak when the Telepathy technique conveyed: “What confirmed that Sheng Xin has found your past self?”

“I guessed it; it hasn’t been confirmed yet!”

“There must be some basis?”

“Two-Lives Manifestation, Reincarnation Proof?” Xu Xiaoshou was unsure.

“Anything else?”

“…A mosquito?”

This sudden term seemed to stump Dao Qiongcang too, but he didn’t question it. Instead, he quickly caught on: “Is it the Xu Beast?”

Xu Xiaoshou, as if struck by lightning, felt a sudden realization. Nuo Ancestor’s Xu Beast, the mosquito, Manifest… The mosquito that activated the first passive point of the black dial, the mosquito seen at the last moment before leaving the world behind the Three Gates, the mosquito from his past self’s side… In that instant, Xu Xiaoshou seemed to understand something.

“Something like a Dao protector?”

“But something’s still not right. I’m not the reincarnation of the Name Ancestor, nor am I the Name Ancestor’s Fallen Body. I am me; strictly speaking, I even seized the Dao of the Fallen Body of the Name Ancestor. If it’s Nuo Ancestor’s Xu Beast mosquito, why would it protect me? Shouldn’t it protect the Name Ancestor’s Fallen Body?”

Just as these thoughts reached this point, Dao Qiongcang’s voice came again: “You shouldn’t be the Name Ancestor, but rather someone who possessed the Name Ancestor’s Fallen Body—Xu Xiaoshou from Tiansang Spirit Palace, right?”

What?! These words were like a thunderclap, making Xu Xiaoshou’s heart constrict in fear. He quickly recalled everything, certain that he had never discussed anything of the sort with Dao Qiongcang, nor could he have revealed these secrets that he had only harbored suspicions about in his own mind. How did Dao Qiongcang know?

Xu Xiaoshou was unsure what this eccentric Dao Qiongcang was thinking at the moment, and subconsciously tried to cover up with a remark: “Isn’t it obvious? I am a descendant of the Name Ancestor…”

“Alright, let’s assume. We are now assuming that you are not a descendant of the Name Ancestor, nor the Name Ancestor’s Fallen Body, but rather someone who possessed the body of Xu Xiaoshou from Tiansang Spirit Palace. And the Xu Beast mosquito is actually a Dao protector specifically arranged by Nuo Ancestor beforehand for the Name Ancestor’s Fallen Body…”

Do I have your Heaven’s Mystery puppet-worm in my stomach? Xu Xiaoshou was truly startled. This guy’s thoughts were actually in sync with his own just now. Does he really have mind-reading abilities?

“Continue,” Xu Xiaoshou said nothing, listening intently to Dao Qiongcang’s analysis.

“Still assuming…” Dao Qiongcang spoke methodically, like an emotionless analytical machine, slowly and clearly: “Based on the premises mentioned above, my current confusion is that there shouldn’t have been a mosquito around you, and even your past self shouldn’t have had one. The fact is, if you’re not lying or hiding anything, the mosquito appeared.”

Hmm? Xu Xiaoshou nodded silently. “So?”

“There isn’t a ‘so’ yet. Another very important factor is that I need to first confirm: in your past life, before you were guided to this world, did you ever meet Sheng Xin?”

“Of course not!” Xu Xiaoshou immediately shook his head in denial. It couldn’t even be a memory issue, because his Intent Dao was complete; he dared to assert that there was no one named Sheng Xin in his past life’s hospital room. In his short past life, he had never met anyone resembling Sheng Xin. He could be absolutely certain of this.

“But you said that the past self you sense right now met Sheng Xin?”

At these words, Xu Xiaoshou was momentarily confused, then immediately understood what Dao Qiongcang was trying to convey. Contradiction! His past self, which he was certain of, had never met Sheng Xin. His true past self, however, not only encountered Sheng Xin now, but also sent him a distress signal, and ‘manifested’ a mosquito? Something must be wrong! He, or his past self, had a cognitive error!

“Actually, there’s no contradiction at all,” Dao Qiongcang smiled, as if he had sorted everything out, and slowly explained: “You should also consider this point: now that the Time Ancestor has fallen and time and space are chaotic, it’s not simply a linear progression, but can be understood as multiple timelines running in parallel. In other words, you, as you are now, might not have been able to do it before, but after becoming a Zero Ancestor, you are fully capable of influencing your past self, causing changes that aren’t part of your established memories.”

Xu Xiaoshou gasped. He seemed to understand, yet not entirely. After a long while of thought, a term not belonging to this era popped into his mind: Quantum entanglement?

Dao Qiongcang, however, not only seemed to have sorted things out, but could also articulate them clearly, asking, “Did you only recently become aware of the changes in your past self?”

“Just now, for the first time!”

No… Xu Xiaoshou finished speaking, then remembered the scene during the night battle in East Heaven King City, where under Rao Yaoyao’s sword art “Mortal Heart Refinement,” he went to his past life’s hospital room, subsequently breaking through his shackles and achieving the Grandmaster realm. That was the embryonic form of the Two-Lives Manifestation and Reincarnation Proof. If it had an influence on his past self, perhaps it started from that moment? Xu Xiaoshou added, “Perhaps it wasn’t the first time…”

“Was your past self very weak?”

“Yes.” More than just weak! In the era of declining dharma, he couldn’t even cultivate. Sheng Xin would probably be confused wherever he went, wondering why his power was so weakened and where the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was.

“Then that’s it,” Dao Qiongcang smiled continually. “Your influence on your past self is significant because you are growing rapidly. The influence from that side on you is insufficient because, as you said, he is very weak. Although time and space run in parallel, his changes might have begun much earlier, but you only began to be stimulated and aware after Sheng Xin intervened in your past life.”

Xu Xiaoshou frowned, remaining silent. Was it really true?

Dao Qiongcang didn't stop: “Through this, the role of Nuo Ancestor’s Xu Beast ‘mosquito’ might not be your Dao protector, but your guide. He valued certain qualities in you. You were chosen, and subsequently came to the Saint God Continent.”

Qualities… Xu Xiaoshou thought that apart from being somewhat strong-willed and adept at finding joy in hardship, his past self didn't have any particularly noble qualities. If he really met Sheng Xin right now, he would probably be screaming in terror; not wetting his pants would already be maintaining the utmost decorum.

“Continue,” Dao Qiongcang spoke voluminously, his tone utterly confident: “The Dao of Time and Space was never invincible. Even the Time Ancestor couldn’t perfectly control this power, let alone Sheng Xin, who had only recently seized the Dao? Therefore, your worries might not exist. It’s not that you can only meekly wait for death here. Instead, Sheng Xin’s intervention in your past life will most likely only influence the process, not change the outcome. Of course, the Blood Demon Reversal Fate Art could bring about unexpected results.”

What did he mean? Xu Xiaoshou remained silent, and Dao Qiongcang continued: “Or it can be understood this way: you could be guided here by Nuo Ancestor in any way, including your past self dying at Sheng Xin’s hands. Zero Ancestor Gods might be able to alter time and history, but to change the outcome of another Zero Ancestor God in the present through the past—the karma would be too immense, and Sheng Xin might not be able to bear it.”

This statement almost caused Xu Xiaoshou to crash again. It took him a long while to slightly grasp it, but he asked, “If I don’t want my past self to die like that, what should I do?”

As the words left his mouth, Xu Xiaoshou felt he had become like Yan Wuse or Rao Yaoyao, somewhat 'spoiled' by Dao Qiongcang. One easily created fact of allying with this guy was that he would become a mental invalid; not truly useless, but a normal human who couldn’t quite keep up with his computational power. So, this was the fundamental reason why the third-generation Dao Qiongcang was able to successfully counter-possess the entirety of Dao Ancestor Yi Ji and suppress him under the black imprint, making him unable to resist?

“I don’t know,” the supposedly omnipotent Dao Qiongcang actually gave such an answer. Xu Xiaoshou felt that all his questions had been in vain. But before he could curse, Dao Qiongcang smiled: “But you should know, there might be more than one way.”

I know? I don’t even know that I know, how do you know I know? Xu Xiaoshou grumbled inwardly, but couldn’t help but fall into deep thought, as Dao Qiongcang’s voice continued to come through his Telepathy technique without interruption:

“Perhaps it would be difficult for your true self to go back, after all, you’re not proficient in the Dao of Reincarnation or Time and Space. But if you use the Two-Lives Manifestation and Reincarnation Proof, and then borrow some power—for example, the power of time and space, perhaps you have it, perhaps you don’t. If not, then borrow the power of the Sword Dao, for example, through a dream. Perhaps you can achieve it, perhaps it won’t succeed in the end, but you can try to send Zang Ku and the like over?”

Dao Qiongcang couldn't be certain either. The only thing he could be certain of was that if Xu Xiaoshou couldn't manage either of the two solutions mentioned above, then waiting was the only path left.

“Time and space…”

“Sword Dao…”

Xu Xiaoshou was as if enlightened. He remembered that in the world behind the Three Gates, he had received a gift from the Time Ancestor: a golden orb, the Source of Time and Space! However, its power was lacking, retaining only the characteristic of tracing back to its origin.

“Dream…” Clearly, it wasn’t just daydreaming either. It was using the sword to open the Gate of Profound Mystery, and through the Great Dream of a Thousand Autumns, reverse time and space with the sword, then using the Reincarnation Proof to send Zang Ku, or even himself, over? Absurd! Just thinking about it felt preposterous. Even if it succeeded, it would be a massive undertaking. What was the difference from smuggling through time and space? He feared a single attempt, just to construct the time-space channel, would consume a lot of life essence from the medicine pool and most likely end in failure.

However… “If I use the call from my past self to pinpoint the time-space node, and then use the Source of Time and Space to trace back to the essence of the Reincarnation Proof. A one-way time-space channel to send Zang Ku over doesn't seem entirely impossible to construct?” This was one thought.

The second was… “If Zang Ku can cross over, what about me? My power is too strong; if it’s a bit of a stretch, could I change my form and trick the heavens, thus completing the ‘smuggling’?”

The problem arose again. This technique seemed beyond the scope of bizarre magic tricks. He needed an omnipresent power throughout all eras—one that could be evenly distributed and hidden invisibly, not needing to be fully transmitted, but also capable of instantly assembling due to, say, a certain call, and erupting with a power that even Sheng Xin would have to avoid… It was too preposterous. Did such a power truly exist in the world?

Xu Xiaoshou pondered deeply. Suddenly, a faint light flickered in his eyes, and he whispered to himself: “Name…”

Name, omnipresent, perhaps sealed away, but its essence is immortal. Name, connects to myriad realms, unobstructed by time and space. It can accumulate due to the worship of billions of people in spaces like Apricot Realm, and can also be borrowed due to a shout from the past along a ‘timeline’ like that of a past self. If he could transform into Name, then with the aid of the Source of Time and Space, and anchored by the call from his past self (through Reincarnation Proof), finally, through the Great Dream of a Thousand Autumns, he could send himself and Zang Ku inside…

“Too risky!” What if he became lost in time and space, how would he break free? Although the path back could rely on the Sea of Intent Dao, preventing him from getting lost. Although everything he envisioned seemed achievable by his future self, only the step of “transforming into Name” seemed completely impractical if the Name Dao hadn’t reached perfection. But what if the Name Dao was perfected? Sheng Xin had already reached a dead end. If he didn't take this risk, if he didn't enter the tiger's den, how could he catch the cub?

“Dao Qiongcang!” Xu Xiaoshou had made up his mind. He solemnly sent a telepathic message: “I have a fatal plan. If it succeeds, Sheng Xin will surely go but never return. My only concern left is you…”

In the Apricot Realm, Dao Qiongcang, in the midst of taking in the Apricot Realm’s inhabitants and striving to eliminate the Blood Demon Power’s influence, paused. At this moment, hearing these words, he finally let out a complete sigh of relief. It wasn’t in vain that he had racked his brain, almost calculating Zero to the point of collapse, scheming and strategizing for Xu Xiaoshou to this extent. Finally, finally, he heard something pleasant. He naturally knew what Xu Xiaoshou likely wanted to say, but at such a moment, he could only feign ignorance and say emotionally:

“Lord Shou, please speak.”

“If Sheng Xin falls, I might not be able to return immediately, but the Blood Demon Power he left in your Divine Court might be his only chance to revive…”

“Possession?”

“Yes.”

“Lord Shou, if Sheng Xin is reduced to only this extent, I believe I still have one last card up my sleeve to deal with it.”

“Oh?”

“But if I say it, it might not work, after all, I’ve already been affected by the Blood Demon Power.”

Xu Xiaoshou suppressed the urge to curse this old flamboyant charlatan. He didn't continue to inquire, and directly cut off the telepathic communication. He wanted to go back! He wanted to slay Sheng Xin in the past, severing all variables! He wanted to battle Sheng Xin under the most irreversible circumstances with the greatest number of variables, because he couldn't stand by and watch his past self trapped while he could only wait for that mosquito to guide his past self over.

Sheng Xin was betting big this time. But his Zang Ku (hidden potential) was not without its advantages!

Xu Xiaoshou sat cross-legged in the air, with Zang Ku darting around him. Beneath him, the unique and singular Long River of Name Dao unfolded. He had clearly entered a state of ‘Heaven and Man as One’ and began to comprehend the Dao. The Name Dao was sufficient to condense into a Long River of Great Dao, proving that while its application might be insufficient, in terms of comprehension and mastery of this Dao, Xu Xiaoshou was already no less than the Name Ancestor. Internalized as the Name Dao Dial, there was more direct visual data:

“Name Dao Dial (99).”

What Xu Xiaoshou had to do now was no longer simply the process of strengthening his various passive skills and other ‘existences’ through the Dao of Name. He also had to complete the step that even the Name Ancestor might never have ventured into: through comprehending ‘Dao Virtualization,’ stepping onto the ‘non-existence’ related to the Dao of Name. Like the ‘back of memory’ of Dao Qiongcang. Like Bazun An’s ‘Sword-Self Mutual Proof.’ Yet, it might be even higher than these, because he intended to ‘define’ the Great Dao, expanding the Dao of Name to become the root of all myriad Great Daos, like the Dao of Saints and the Dao of Arts!

“Name can refer to a surname or given name, and also means ‘to attribute to.’ To name plants, trees, flowers, and birds is to give them designations sufficient for distinction. To name Yin and Yang, the four seasons, is to give rise to discernible changes in day and night, spring and autumn. The Dao that can be spoken is not the eternal Dao; the Name that can be named is not the eternal Name. To name the Dao is to call it Dao: to call it Sword, to call it War, to call it Art. Then cultivators no longer wander aimlessly in their pursuit of Dao, but have tangible, common names they can master, allowing them to advance step by step. Thus, when the Great Dao is named Fire, it encompasses variations in temperature, changes in flame color, fluctuations in emotional agitation and calm, appearing as common fire, cold fire, karmic fire. Name is like fire; it starts from kindling and, once active, can spread to cover the wilderness. Thus, when the Great Dao is named Water, it is still like a gurgling stream, active like a surging flood, wild like a cascading waterfall, and stagnant like a dead well. It manifests as joy, surprise, anger, sorrow. The supreme Name, like water, has already reached the seven emotions and can control the six desires. At the end of pursuing the Dao, one discards naming, merges with the true essence, and releases creation, thereby zeroing out and advancing to the Supreme Name. The Supreme Name cannot be named. The Dao of the Supreme is both nothing and something. The Nameless is the beginning of Heaven and Earth; the Named is the mother of all things. Delving into its subtleties, exhausting its limits, entities with different names are called ‘Profound’ when unified. Observing this, one opens the Gate of Profound Mystery.”

Accompanied by the unconscious externalized murmurs of his Dao Virtualization insights, the Three Ancestors in the Extreme Severance space watched as Xu Xiaoshou, standing in mid-air, gradually transformed from human form into nothingness. His eyes vanished into smoke, his limbs dissolved into streams of air, his torso, his entire being, dissipated and dissolved into the Great Dao.

“Dao assimilation?” This didn't look like Dao assimilation either, because the Three Ancestors could all sense that Xu Xiaoshou was still there, only his form had changed. But if they were to say where he was, they couldn't. It was as if he wasn't there, yet he was everywhere, as if he was born simultaneously with the Dao at the very beginning of the world's chaos, and as if he had materialized as every grain of dust, every drop of river water on the Saint God Continent at this moment. Not just the continent, not just Daoist methods, he seemed to have also merged into time and space, permeating the past, present, and future, connecting all realms, traveling to places Ancestor Gods could explore, and also places they had never experienced. From initially understanding, to later not understanding, to finally completely forgetting what Xu Xiaoshou was doing and his purpose, yet they could still remember the ‘name’ ‘Xu Xiaoshou,’ which had been symbolized.

“The Dao of Name…” War Ancestor murmured silently. From the perspective of the Dao of War, he seemed able to decipher what Xu Xiaoshou was doing: aspiring to the most supreme state: “The Dao of Wu Ji?”

The three-headed, six-armed Cuiyin also showed a look of shock, hardly daring to believe what he saw. He, too, could no longer discern Xu Xiaoshou’s current state, but interpreting it through the concept of the Dao of Arts and defining Xu Xiaoshou’s state, it could be understood as: “The Art of Tai Shang?”

And whether it was the Dao of Wu Ji, the Art of Tai Shang, or Dao Qiongcang’s ‘back of memory,’ or Bazun An’s ‘Sword-Self Mutual Proof,’ under the immense concept Xu Xiaoshou was comprehending at this moment, they seemed to become just one of its many facets. Could one move from this Dao towards the ‘Supreme Name,’ and the ‘Supreme Name’ be far beyond just this Dao?

“Call upon me…” Across myriad eras, an invisible ripple spread forth.

Xu Xiaoshou methodically took out the Source of Time and Space, traced back to the essence of the Reincarnation Proof, then entered the Dao through the Great Dream of a Thousand Autumns, transmitting his will to myriad realms:

“Chant my true name, let reincarnation be my proof. To all ages it shall reach, the Supreme makes passage.”

In the dim Land of Dissipating Laws, atop a towering mountain wreathed in demonic aura, a tall man dressed in dark Nuo robes, wearing an imposing Nuo mask, suddenly rose. Brilliant light burst from his eyes. Millions of bolts of lightning crashed down from the sky, engulfing half of the demonic mountain but failing to collapse it. His voice seemed to have tens of thousands of wills superimposed, then ground down repeatedly by a millstone, hoarse and eerie, yet it pierced through the roar of the thunder tribulation:

“The Dao of Name…”

“Jinren, is it done?” Without much hesitation, the tall man in the Nuo robes’ consciousness bloomed, connecting with the surging will that swept through all eras, and sent over a voice: “This is Ancestral Court Taiyao Mountain, quickly aid me!”

In the primordial time-stream storm, boundless desolate time-sands drifted and flowed. A white-robed sword cultivator who had undergone countless eons of ascetic practice, whose edges had long been worn away by time, and who was now on the verge of death, at the same moment, abruptly looked up. The broken sword in his hand vibrated, and a green light shimmered. The white-robed figure elegantly turned his head, as if in an instant, he found the distant way home that he had long lost. The turbidity in his eyes completely faded; his essence, spirit, and vitality were recovering, rising, and surging at a terrifying speed, almost without limit.

“Name Sword Art…”

“Xu Xiaoshou, are you looking for me?”

Buzz, buzz, buzz! Around him, as if due to a momentary emotional fluctuation, one after another, light gates overflowing with Dao rhythm opened. Initially nine, then eighty-one, finally countless divisions. After a long, deep breath, his divine will returned to calm, the Gate of Profound Mystery subsided, and vanished into nothingness. He opened his mouth but struggled to make a sound. He waited for a long time, until a sweetness accumulated in his throat, which he reluctantly swallowed. Only then did he use the broken sword in his hand to send out a sword intent, producing a dry, raspy sound like a knife scraping:

“Lord Shou…”

“I am here.”