Just as Xu Ying was about to speak, he let out a soft exclamation of surprise and leapt into the air, gazing into the distance.
Streams of incense smoke qi crossed mountains, traversed forests, and flew over long rivers, surging forward from all directions. The common people across the Benshi world, upon hearing the news that Chongxiao had been wounded, were burning incense and offering prayers in droves!
These wisps of incense converged in the air, forming vast, roaring currents of divine power tinged with green qi, howling across the sky!
Like enraged dragons, the streams of incense smoke qi drilled into Chongxiao's body, helping him reconstruct his Heavenly Dao runes and restore his magic power!
From within that incense smoke qi came deafening waves of prayer. The common folk were making grand vows, praying that this deity's injuries would heal, that he would weather this trial, vanquish evil, and endure forever in the world!
The relentless hum coalesced into a boundless spirit, binding the billions of living beings of the Benshi world together into an irresistible torrent.
Facing the impact of this spiritual deluge, even Xu Ying could not help but pale!
A united people could build a city; how much greater was the will of an entire world?
A true god? Perhaps this was what one truly was, Xu Ying mused inwardly.
The spectacle was utterly astonishing—as though the spirit of an entire world had coalesced into one and poured into Chongxiao's body!
"What did this old god ever do to make so many revere him as a god?" he wondered in confusion.
Grand Preceptor Jiang whispered, "Does Your Majesty not know about the Great Villain?"
The Son of Heaven of Zhou looked at him with suspicion. Grand Preceptor Jiang had no choice but to speak the truth. "After thoroughly studying the ancient texts and traveling to the Taiyi Lesser Mysterious Heaven, I discovered that the Great Villain who destroyed the heavenly road and shattered the heaven-and-earth spiritual root back then was none other than Fellow Daoist Xu."
The Son of Heaven of Zhou's expression drastically shifted. Without another word, he prepared to summon his immortal artifact and fight Xu Ying to the death.
Grand Preceptor Jiang hastily clamped down on his hand and whispered, "Your Majesty, you must not!"
Gritting his teeth, the Son of Heaven of Zhou snarled furiously, "Jiang Qi, you dare stop me? Do you think I wouldn't kill you? Today, I will cut down both you and this Great Villain who severed the heavenly road!"
Grand Preceptor Jiang hurriedly said, "Calm yourself, Your Majesty. The Great Villain may indeed be the public enemy of all under heaven, but that was then and this is now."
The Son of Heaven of Zhou's face was nearly pressed against his as he raged, "Jiang Qi, back then, you and I sat knee-to-knee and talked long into the night. Reading of that lost ancient history and seeing those brilliant predecessors trapped by the inability to ascend, left with no choice but to wither away in old age—how many tragedies unfolded, how we sighed and wrung our hands in grief! When we read of the Great Villain severing the heavenly road, did we not gnash our teeth, wishing we had been born centuries earlier to take to the battlefield ourselves and execute the Great Villain with our own hands? And now that the Great Villain stands before you, you hold me back! Jiang Qi, you've changed!"
Grand Preceptor Jiang pleaded, "Your Majesty, I have not changed. Fellow Daoist Xu is certainly the Great Villain who severed the heavenly road, but even if he hadn't broken it, we still would not be able to ascend."
The Son of Heaven of Zhou snorted coldly. "Countless people have been trapped at the Ascension stage, forced to reap others like chives, harvesting other lives merely to prolong their feeble existence and beg for survival! It is all because of him—"
"Your Majesty, he is not the chief culprit."
Grand Preceptor Jiang explained, "The chief culprit is that super ascender, the archdemon who raised the heavenly tribulation to a level no one could cross in a single stroke. Even if Fellow Daoist Xu had not shattered the heavenly road, no one could have survived the tribulation. If no one can cross the tribulation, naturally no one can walk upon the heavenly road."
The Son of Heaven of Zhou knew he spoke the truth, yet he still huffed, "Even if he isn't the chief culprit, he is the second-worst! He deserves death!"
Grand Preceptor Jiang reminded him, "Your Majesty cannot beat him. Adding me would make no difference either."
The Son of Heaven of Zhou's face turned ashen, his lips twitching as he argued, "He wounded Chongxiao. If I join forces with Chongxiao, we can slay the Great Villain. Could he possibly contend against the entire Benshi world?"
Grand Preceptor Jiang said, "He wields the Heavenly Dao. Wiping out the living beings of an entire world would be child's play for him; he simply does not wish to do so. Moreover, we must make use of him to cross our tribulations. We cannot fall out with him."
The Son of Heaven of Zhou hesitated time and again before saying, "After we use him to cross our tribulations, we will become earthly immortals. At that point, for having severed the heavenly road, he will be the chief culprit and must be executed!"
Grand Preceptor Jiang agreed. "By then, we will be earthly immortals of immense power, and we will have the strength to fight him."
Xu Ying drifted down beside the monarch and minister, listening with a bewildered expression. He cleared his throat and reminded them, "Brother Ji, Grand Preceptor Jiang, when you discuss getting rid of me, could you at least do it behind my back?"
The Son of Heaven of Zhou's anger vanished completely, and he laughed. "My Great Zhou is a dynasty of gentlemen, open and upright. If we say we're going to plot against you, we say it to your face. Brother Xu, we should be going."
Xu Ying shook his head and did not leave. Instead, he simply returned to Chongxiao's side and sat down to wait quietly. Several Qi Refiners and locals tried to stop him, but his aura gently parted them without causing any harm.
Grand Preceptor Jiang stepped forward. "Fellow Daoist Xu, Great Emperor Cangwu gave us only three days. The Cangwu Abyss will vanish after three days. We cannot afford to delay."
The Son of Heaven of Zhou urged him as well. "We must seize this chance to find more heavenly gods. Only then will we have greater confidence in crossing the tribulation."
Xu Ying retorted tartly, "Help you cross the tribulation so it's easier for you to finish off this Great Villain?"
The Son of Heaven of Zhou smiled. "The chief culprit isn't you, nor is it that archdemon. It is the Immortal Realm. Naturally, I understand that."
Xu Ying glanced at him. "A true god is far more important than those illiterate false gods. He is tied to the truth of the Heavenly Dao. The Immortal Realm oversees the Heavenly Dao world, and the heavenly gods are merely a part of it. Kill one batch, and another will come. If one truly wants to master the Heavenly Dao, one must know its truth. Therefore, he is of paramount importance."
The Son of Heaven of Zhou hesitated, then pulled Grand Preceptor Jiang aside. "Grand Preceptor, from the sound of it, his goal in mastering the Heavenly Dao isn't merely to help us cross our tribulations. His objective must be the Heavenly Dao world itself."
Grand Preceptor Jiang blinked. "This subject does not understand."
The Son of Heaven of Zhou said, "He claims this true god is more important than the other false gods and insists on uncovering the truth of the Heavenly Dao. What does that mean? It means he wants to replace them! He wants to seize control of the Heavenly Dao back from the hands of the Immortal Realm!"
Grand Preceptor Jiang said, "This subject still does not understand."
Patiently, the Son of Heaven of Zhou explained, "He wants to take back control of the Heavenly Dao, seize control of the heavenly tribulations, and establish an alternative Heavenly Dao world. That is rebelling against the Immortal Realm! We allied with him to seek immortality, not to accompany him in rebellion. We cannot board this pirate ship of his!"
Grand Preceptor Jiang sighed. "Your Majesty has long been aboard."
The Son of Heaven of Zhou froze. Just as he was about to speak, Grand Preceptor Jiang continued, "In the myriad heavens and worlds, all Qi Refiners who wish to ascend—be they anglers, Nuo ancestors, harvested Nuo immortals, old gods trapped in the mortal realm, or primordial heavenly gods refusing to die—have long been aboard this pirate ship, and not a single one has been able to disembark."
He raised a finger toward the sky and said with profound meaning, "Those who left the pirate ship are up there. And they do not allow us to leave. Your Majesty, in their eyes, who on this ship isn't a pirate?"
The Son of Heaven of Zhou fell silent.
More and more people gathered around them. Innumerable hostile gazes converged upon them, yet Xu Ying paid them no mind, continuing to wait in silence.
The incense smoke qi surging from across the Benshi world grew ever thicker. Clearly, Xu Ying's earlier voice transmission across this world via his Heavenly Dao divine power had worked remarkably well, driving nearly everyone to offer sacrifices to Chongxiao and pray for his well-being.
Xu Ying had never encountered such a sight before.
So long as the people's wishes endure, a true god does not die.
Looking at Chongxiao, who remained unconscious, Xu Ying felt a flicker of enlightenment. Perhaps what he cultivates is the true Heavenly Dao, the true Divine Dao. I may comprehend the Heavenly Dao runes and possess immense strength, but I am not a deity. I am merely utilizing the Heavenly Dao. In that regard, I am no different from the heavenly gods of the Heavenly Dao.
He paused, then added inwardly, The only difference is that I understand the Heavenly Dao better than they do.
After a long time, the Heavenly Dao runes across Chongxiao's body repaired themselves one by one, and the scattered incense smoke qi reconverged. However, because Xu Ying had wounded him severely, remnants of Xu Ying's divine power lingered in his injuries, preventing a quick recovery.
When Chongxiao awoke and saw Xu Ying sitting right beside him, he was startled. He bolted up, surging with all his strength to strike at Xu Ying!
At that moment, the spirit of the entire Benshi world overlapped with his own, swelling his divine power to such vast proportions that this punch was even more formidable than when he was uninjured!
Boom!
Behind Xu Ying, the Heavenly Abyss of Dao Burial emerged. A vast chasm spanned the sky, swallowing all things in heaven and earth; even the Grand Dao itself seemed destined to be buried within!
Chongxiao's fist smashed into Xu Ying's palm. The swirling power caused the Heavenly Abyss behind Xu Ying to grow even more terrifying and vast, until even the sky of the Benshi world began to tear, looking as though it might plummet into the abyss!
Xu Ying praised, "Living beings are individually frail, like fireflies. But when the spirits of billions converge, they become like the sun—dazzling, mighty, and blazing."
His tone shifted. "Yet if I destroy you, I destroy the spirit of those billions in the Benshi world, crushing the spirit of an entire world beneath my feet!"
His voice rumbled, echoing through the heavens and clouds.
"Destroy you, and this entire world, all its living beings, will submit to my terrifying might, losing their will to fight and sinking into despair!"
The echoes took a long time to fade.
Reining in his aura, Xu Ying smiled. "Chongxiao, you wouldn't want me to do that, would you?"
Chongxiao glared at him viciously, the bird head and wolf head on his shoulders snarling incessantly. Slowly, he drew his fist back.
Xu Ying stood up and said, "Chongxiao, I need to transcribe every Heavenly Dao rune on your body."
Chongxiao clenched his fist, then relaxed it. "I can give them to you."
Xu Ying added, "I also want to know how you managed to comprehend these Heavenly Dao runes."
Chongxiao hesitated, then recounted how he had been banished to the lower realm, harbored resentment, hid within the Benshi world, and created myriad clones to gather faith.
"At first, I merely intended to exploit the mortals here, using their incense to cultivate. But as I helped fulfill their wishes, there came a day when I suddenly perceived the Heavenly Heart."
Chongxiao said, "When I perceived the Heavenly Heart, I discovered that the Heavenly Heart is the will of the people. Only then did I realize that everything I had done before was wrong. From then on, I acted in accordance with the people's will, gradually comprehending more Heavenly Dao runes. Through that, I also discovered that the Heavenly Dao runes I once bore were full of flaws and errors."
Xu Ying grew thoughtful.
"Then, since you comprehended the Heavenly Heart and the will of the people, why were you so ferocious toward me, eager to kill me on sight?" Xu Ying couldn't help asking. "You should know that I treat others with benevolence and love to help people. I am Xu the Great Philanthropist! Why were you so intent on slaughtering me?"
Chongxiao hesitated before saying, "Back when I was in the Heavenly Dao world, I heard that you rebelled against the Immortal Realm, butchered fellow immortals, ambushed prestigious sects, seized immortal mountains, abducted fairy maidens, disrespected superior immortals, and disgraced immortal maidens. You were a bona fide Great Villain. The Immortal Realm put out a warrant for you, so naturally we were ordered to capture you, intercepting you along the heavenly road..."
"Wait a moment!"
Xu Ying raised a hand and asked, "I came down from the Immortal Realm? Meaning... I was an immortal?"
Chongxiao hesitated for a moment and said, "Probably not anymore. I heard the Immortal Realm expunged your immortal register. Furthermore, to descend from the Immortal Realm, unless one sneaks down, the only way is to sever one's own immortal cultivation realm. You must have severed your own realm to descend from the Immortal Realm."
Xu Ying composed himself and muttered, "I seized fairy maidens and disgraced immortal maidens?"
The Son of Heaven of Zhou and Grand Preceptor Jiang exchanged a glance, saying nothing.
Chongxiao continued, "Back then, the Heavenly Dao world was bustling. We followed the God King to quell the rebellion of Kunlun, finally establishing the Heavenly Dao, forging Heavenly Dao divine artifacts, and unifying the myriad heavens and worlds. It was a time of great prosperity. But the good days didn't last long before your matter broke out. At that time, the Heavenly Dao world became crowded, packed with immortals who had severed their cultivation, preparing to intercept and kill you along the way."
He paused and said, "I was Tianyao. Back then, I was merely an upright god, insignificant among the heavenly gods. The true heavyweights were those grand figures from the Immortal Realm who had severed their cultivation; they descended carrying immortal artifacts. I, along with thirty-six other heavenly gods, God King Xuanshuang, and several superior immortals, guarded the Sixth Pass of the heavenly road."
They had received word that the Great Villain had already fought his way out of the Immortal Realm, severed his realm, and was advancing from the Ninth Pass.
The Immortal King guarding the Ninth Pass had confronted him personally, leading twenty-four immortals who had severed their realms to bar the Great Villain at the Ninth Pass!
"The heaven-and-earth spiritual root there was summoned; its dazzling radiance was clearly visible even from the Sixth Pass,"
Chongxiao said. "Two days later, the pass fell. I heard from the immortals who fled that the Immortal King of the Ninth Pass was gravely injured, and more than half of the twenty-four immortals were killed or wounded."
Xu Ying pressed, "And then?"
Chongxiao said, "Then came news that the Eighth Pass was breached, followed by the Seventh Pass. Soon, you reached the Sixth Pass that we were defending. I followed the other heavenly gods, and when we saw you walking out of the starry sky, we charged forward. Before I could even reach you, someone shouted that the God King was dead, and everyone fled."
His lips twitched, and the bird head and wolf head on his shoulders also wore looks of terror. Evidently, the scene from that day still cast a deep shadow over him.
"The heaven-and-earth spiritual root of the Sixth Heavenly Pass shattered. We resisted the incoming divine powers while retreating in defeat. By the time I fled to the Fifth Heavenly Pass, only four colleagues remained at my side. Before we could even find our footing at the Fifth Heavenly Pass, you attacked again. Soon after, the Fifth Heavenly Pass fell, and God King Xuanxiao fell in battle."
Chongxiao's lips moved slightly as he said, "At the Fourth Pass, an Immortal King finally managed to hold you back. We seized the opportunity to assemble the strongest Qi Refiners from the myriad heavens and worlds, preparing to fight you to the death at the First Heavenly Pass, the Taiyi Lesser Mysterious Heaven. I remember an immortal saying back then that you had a weakness—a woman."
Chapter 295