Two cultivation techniques—one obtained from the dragon elder of the Heavenly Immortal Realm, and one from Great Dao Lord Xuhuang of the other shore—both hailed from the other shore.
Yet their descriptions of the cultivation realms were not entirely consistent.
Foolish Ah Fu could not help thinking back to his days in Yuanshou. To the people of Yuanshou, such discrepancies were commonplace, nothing strange at all.
Yet which of these two techniques was genuine, and which was false?
Or could both techniques be fakes?
Yuan Weiyang had cultivated alongside Xu Ying and already possessed a deep understanding of the Li framework from the other shore. Ever since Xu Ying departed the Heavenly Dao Ancestral Court, she had been diligently studying the Indestructible Realm technique inscribed upon the emerald rock.
She had developed profound insights into this Indestructible Realm technique.
Even so, she could not tell which was genuine and which was false.
"Since it is hard to tell true from false, what if we replaced all of the Li framework with Dao pattern frameworks or rune frameworks? Wouldn't that make telling true from false unnecessary?" Foolish Ah Fu asked.
Yuan Weiyang pondered the feasibility of this approach, and her eyes lit up. She praised, "Ah Fu, your insight is growing increasingly profound. If all the frameworks are replaced with rune frameworks, the technique might still possess flaws, but if the Outsiders wish to harvest us, they would first have to substitute our rune framework with their Li framework. If they cannot substitute it, they will have no way to harvest us. You are truly clever."
Foolish Ah Fu gave a simple, honest grin. "I was only trying to view the problem through Dao Ancestor Xu's way of thinking. If I were Dao Ancestor Xu, what would I do? Dao Ancestor Xu would definitely take the contrarian path."
Yuan Weiyang thought to herself, *Ah Ying might not actually think that far ahead. Still, it is a good thing that Ah Fu believes Ah Ying is smarter than him.*
Foolish Ah Fu was brilliant to the point of being monstrous. He had been the first person since Zhou Qiyun to overcome the super heavenly tribulation entirely on his own genuine merit. Had the Immortal Realm not rigged the trial, he would have become an immortal long ago. Only after suffering that crushing blow had he grown despondent, convincing himself that Xu Ying was vastly more intelligent than he was.
Yet having spent so much time with Xu Ying, Yuan Weiyang knew that although Xu Ying was exceptionally clever, there were times when he was ridiculously naive, frequently acting like a child with his youthful innocence intact.
If the day ever came when Foolish Ah Fu realized he was smarter than Xu Ying, he would no longer fear him.
At that point, he would likely become a most terrifying person.
***
At the Heavenly Sea Ferry, Xu Ying looked at the motionless Ten Wastes Heavenly Monarch, Liu Guanyi, seated before him and laughed. "Ten Perfect Dao Ancestor, I am not a greedy man. I truly do not know the profound secrets behind rebirth."
Liu Guanyi's expression was grave. "Dao Ancestor Xu, you returned from the dead. Such a method snatches creation from heaven and earth, so it is only natural for you to keep it to yourself. However, I have not come empty-handed."
He offered up the fragment of the primordial ancestor's primordial spirit that he had seized from Dao Lord Jiugong. The fragment had already been refined into a giant dragon of spiritual light by Dao Lord Jiugong. The moment it was summoned forth, an earth-shattering might shook the cosmos!
Liu Guanyi spoke with earnest sincerity and a reverent demeanor. "Dao Ancestor Xu, you and I are both Ten Perfect Dao Ancestors. Look upon this world: everyone else is mediocre and ordinary, all bearing more or less some defect. Only you and I are completely flawless, without a single blemish to be found. In this world, no one else can compare to us. As fellow Ten Perfect Dao Ancestors, for the sake of our mutual fraternity, please lend a helping hand."
Xu Ying scrutinized him closely. Seeing that Liu Guanyi displayed not the slightest hint of shame when uttering such boastful words, it was clear that he genuinely believed from the bottom of his heart that the two of them were perfection incarnate.
Xu Ying found this quite flattering and smiled. "There is some truth to your words. It is just that I genuinely don't know how I resurrected from my grave..."
Liu Guanyi said solemnly, "Then I shall add a small token of my sincerity! When the battle at the Heavenly Abyss arrives, Qingxuan and I will appear in person to back you up!"
Xu Ying was inwardly moved. In his last battle, his defeat had stemmed from the shortage of mighty experts on his side, which had allowed the likes of Creation Supreme to intervene.
Back then, Waste Qingxuan had made an appearance, only to turn right back around and leave, while the Ten Wastes Heavenly Monarch, Liu Guanyi, had never shown himself at all.
This time, if he had the support of Liu Guanyi and Waste Qingxuan, he would have an additional layer of security.
Yet regarding his rebirth, Xu Ying had always believed it was due to the sacrifice of the first-generation Xu Ying.
At the time, deep in the consciousness of the first-generation Xu Ying, he had witnessed the deceased Xu Yings of tens of thousands of lifetimes, with only himself surviving. When his physical body perished, those tens of thousands of Xu Yings dissipated one by one. Just as he too was on the verge of death, the first-generation Xu Ying dissipated his own sense of self, granting him control over the physical body, which brought about Xu Ying's rebirth.
His circumstances had been unique; whether Waste Qingxuan could also achieve revival and rebirth through a similar method remained unknown.
Xu Ying suddenly realized: it was precisely the dissolution of the first lifetime's ego that bought his rebirth, and Qingxuan was also deceased. Wouldn't the situation facing Waste Qingxuan be remarkably similar to his own?
As long as Waste Qingxuan took possession of the body, could he be brought back to life?
However, Waste Qingxuan was merely a heavenly fiend—an agglomeration of various stray thoughts—whereas Xu Ying was a continuous thread of memory from the first-generation Xu Ying.
The two were fundamentally different.
Even more crucially, at that time, Xu Ying's primordial spirit, physical body, cultivation base, realms, and Dao landscapes had all been cleanly harvested, yet a solitary sliver of an Undying True Spirit remained. Bound by the yearning of all living beings, it refused to disperse, and even the power of Samsara from the Underworld could not drag it away.
Qingxuan, on the other hand, was thoroughly dead, lacking even that sliver of an Undying True Spirit.
*What preserved my final spark of vitality and kept my true spirit from falling into Samsara was the merit I earned as the Dao Ancestor of the New Dao. The qi refiners who benefited from my grace kept me in their thoughts, preventing my true spirit from entering reincarnation.*
Xu Ying pondered for a long time, recalling the scene where Emperor Chonghua had used the divine power of incense to awaken all of his incense qi. A thought struck him, and he asked, "Does Qingxuan have a tombstone or people offering sacrifices to him?"
Liu Guanyi shook his head. "It is merely a desolate mound with no stele."
Xu Ying thereupon fetched a block of stone. Sword qi danced at his fingertips, shaving out a stone stele.
His blade moved like flying wind, and lines of calligraphy soon surfaced upon the stone. Liu Guanyi leaned closer to look. Xu Ying's handwriting was decent, and though his wording was neither lofty nor ornate, it was thoroughly unpretentious, chronicling Qingxuan's general deeds.
"Emperor Qingxuan, a man of the Shangqing Dao Sect, grieved by the distortion of the Heavenly Dao and sorrowful over the misery of the people, rose in righteous rebellion. He rallied the people with fervent cries to awaken the spirit of righteous men; he waged war and battled through common valor. Endowed with brilliant wisdom, he created something from nothing, pioneering the Supreme Realm to enlighten posterity, thereby heralding the dawn of the New Dao..."
Liu Guanyi read it line by line. The deeds on the stele were remarkably accurate, showing that Xu Ying had indeed put his heart into it.
Xu Ying produced three sticks of incense, lit them, and planted them before the stele, reciting softly, "Ancient Worthy Qingxuan, receive my incense. I have been blessed by Your Excellency's lingering wisdom to cultivate the Grand Unity, laying down the foundation for the New Dao. Your Excellency pioneered the New Dao and opened the Supreme Realm, creating an unprecedented path. I am willing to share the merit of the Dao Ancestor of the New Dao with Your Excellency. With my merit, I pray to shield Your Excellency's sliver of true spirit from extinguishing—reporting to the Heavenly Dao above, invoking the Earthly Dao below, and protecting Your Excellency from falling into Samsara!"
Finishing his recitation, Xu Ying planted the three sticks of incense firmly before the stele. The incense burned quietly as its fragrance lingered without dispersing, transforming into blazing divine power that swirled around the stele, condensing into an auspicious cloud.
From within the auspicious cloud came the ceaseless chant of recitation—none other than Xu Ying's own voice.
Seeing him use his vast merit as the Dao Ancestor of the New Dao to help keep Qingxuan's Undying True Spirit from plunging into Samsara, Liu Guanyi was deeply moved.
Xu Ying's gesture was an unequivocal acknowledgment that Qingxuan was also a Dao Ancestor of the New Dao, taking the initiative to pay homage to him. With his solemn bow, heaven and earth resonated, drawing an incomparable torrent of incense qi to converge upon Qingxuan's memorial stele!
Once the three sticks of incense burned down, Xu Ying smiled. "Ten Perfect Dao Ancestor, you may take this stone stele and erect it before Qingxuan's grave. Once Qingxuan gathers the divine power offered to him by all living beings over these past six hundred thousand years, that power will preserve his true spirit, allow him to break free of Samsara, and return to his physical body. At that point, when Waste Qingxuan enters the flesh, he will be resurrected."
Liu Guanyi carefully stowed the stone stele away, his expression filled with solemn reverence. "In Dao Ancestor Xu's battle at the Heavenly Abyss, I, Liu Guanyi, along with Emperor Qingxuan, will definitely be there to lend our support!"
Xu Ying shook his head. "Waste Qingxuan might not necessarily wish to be reborn. I have met him; he is thoroughly dispirited and would much rather lie flat and enjoy life."
Liu Guanyi smiled. "Be it Waste Qingxuan or Emperor Qingxuan, both are Qingxuan. So long as the heroic passion in his breast remains unquenched, a roar will always follow deep reflection. Farewell!"
He bowed low, taking the stele with him as he departed, leaving the giant dragon of spiritual light behind.
Watching his receding figure, Xu Ying murmured softly, "'So long as the heroic passion in his breast remains unquenched, a roar will always follow deep reflection'... Could Qingxuan really be such a person, just like me?"
Collecting his thoughts, he examined the giant dragon of spiritual light and felt a surge of joy. *With this spiritual light, Lord Dragon will become more complete, and his body can grow a bit longer. His strength will draw even closer to the Ancestral God! By the way, Saint Luo was also among those who fought for the fragments of the primordial ancestor's primordial spirit back then. Once I eliminate Saint Luo, I can gather the third fragment. In the battle of the Heavenly Abyss, if I slay Mingzun and claim the fourth fragment, Lord Dragon can be completely restored!*
His Dao heart surged with eager anticipation.
When Big Dragon's strength was restored, even if it did not reach the terrifying peak power of the primordial ancestor, it would be far purer. He should be able to stand in for the Ancestral God and shoulder the heavy burden of contending against the Heavenly Immortal Realm.
"Daoist, there is something I do not understand that I would like to ask you about."
Xu Ying summoned Daoist Yuji and asked, "Why can the emerald rock traverse the gelatinous zone, whereas other treasures cannot? Is it the effect of the Great Dao of the emerald rock, or the nature of the rock itself?"
Daoist Yuji was stumped by his question and replied, "I have never seen the emerald rock myself..."
Xu Ying smiled. "There is another piece of emerald rock in the Heavenly Dao Ancestral Court. If you can steal a moment of leisure from your busy schedule, you will understand once you go there and see it."
Daoist Yuji had remained at the Heavenly Sea Ferry for the purpose of forging more Three Realms Golden Ships to ferry between the Mortal Realm and the Heavenly Immortal Realm, facilitating the migration of the three realms. However, while the golden ships he forged could travel to the Mortal Realm, they were consistently unable to break through the gelatinous zone of the Heavenly Immortal Realm.
To a Heavenly Craftsman with such lofty aspirations, this was a tremendous blow.
Hearing Xu Ying's words, his interest was immediately piqued. He summoned Zhu Chanchan at once and set off for the Heavenly Dao Ancestral Court with the other Heavenly Craftsmen.
Wei Xu was still hoping Zhu Chanchan would study him so that she could forge a Supreme Realm treasure for Zulong Zhao Zheng, so naturally, he brought Zulong along to follow them.
"Dao Ancestor Xu, rest assured. For this battle at the Heavenly Abyss, I, Wei Xu, will certainly be present to back you up," Wei Xu said with a bow before leading Zulong to follow Daoist Yuji's golden ship.
Xu Ying stood tall at the Heavenly Sea Ferry. After a moment, he suddenly burst into hearty laughter.
Today, the tables had turned.
The strength of his faction had finally completely surpassed that of Immortal Emperor Supreme!
***
Carrying the stone stele, Liu Guanyi arrived at Waste Qingxuan's dwelling. Retrieving the stele, he displayed the inscription to Waste Qingxuan, his expression brimming with excitement. "Brother Dao, the opportunity for your rebirth has arrived! Dao Ancestor Xu carved a stele and composed an epitaph for you, using his own merit to prolong your life! With this stone stele, you need only return to your flesh to gather your past incense and claim a share of the incense belonging to the Dao Ancestor of the New Dao! Such vast divine power can surely summon your Undying True Spirit from Samsara and restore you to life!"
Waste Qingxuan cast a lazy glance at the stele. Then he rose, circled the monument twice to examine the inscription, and chuckled. "Dao Ancestor Xu was thoughtful, but this thing is useless to me. I'm just a piece of trash. Cloaking myself in Qingxuan's skin would do nothing more than bring shame upon Qingxuan's name."
Liu Guanyi said loudly, "You are Qingxuan too! You are the most human Qingxuan I have ever known!"
Waste Qingxuan shook his head. "I'm just a waste."
Hearing this, Liu Guanyi flared with rage. "You are Qingxuan! You are the Qingxuan who could drink wine, eat meat, fight shoulder-to-shoulder, and gossip about women with us subordinates! You are not Emperor Qingxuan; you are more like a living, breathing human being! Get on your feet! The things you wanted to accomplish in the past remain unfinished! You cannot lie down! You must continue to lead us into battle!"
Waste Qingxuan flew into an equal fury, confronting him tit for tat. "Liu Guanyi, what right do you have to drag me to my feet? I'm just a useless waste! I'm lazy, gluttonous, lustful, and petty-minded! All I want is to lie flat in peace and enjoy my life! Why are you forcing me to get up? Emperor Qingxuan was so perfect, yet didn't he die all the same? What good will it do if I get up? It's precisely because I'm useless that I lay down! If I get up, will I not end up turning into the Holy Venerable, or turning into Jun Wudao? I'm just a piece of trash—let me lie down!"
He threw himself stiffly onto the ground, completely indifferent to any scolding, like a dead pig that feared no boiling water.
Liu Guanyi was furious at his lack of ambition. He wished he could kick him several times to force him up, but as he raised his foot, it fell back down powerlessly.
"Then keep lying down."
Liu Guanyi grew dejected and shook his head. "Sooner or later, you will discover that during the time you spent lying down, your friends, your family, and the ones you love will grow despairing of you one by one and leave your side. In your absence, they will wither and perish until, ultimately, the only person left in this world whom you know is yourself."
He lifted his head. "I will go help Dao Ancestor Xu, and I will battle against the Immortal Court. If I do not die, I will face the mighty experts of the Heavenly Immortal Realm. Brother Dao, farewell forever."
He turned and departed, leaving the stone stele standing in Waste Qingxuan's small courtyard.
Waste Qingxuan lay beneath his own tombstone, the epitaph gleaming with light. He stared with wide, hollow eyes at the sky. Every single character Xu Ying had carved into the epitaph felt like mockery directed at him.
"I'm just a waste. I'm not Emperor Qingxuan."
He curled his body beneath his own tombstone and cursed under his breath, "I don't have the wisdom of a leader. I'm just the useless dregs that Emperor Qingxuan cast aside. Why should a piece of trash like me be forced to bear such heavy responsibilities? I don't want any responsibilities. I'm terrified of responsibility! I only want to run away..."
*Boom!*
A violent explosion suddenly ripped through the heavens outside. It was Jun Wudao, the first of the Twelve Wondrous, locked in mortal combat with Old Ancestor Boshan, the third of the Twelve Wondrous, beyond the sky. Waves of divine ability shockwaves blasted through the firmament, transforming into seas of fire and cascading mountains that rained down upon the world below.
The entire Yingquan World teetered on the brink of collapse under the crushing pressure of the aftershocks from the two Wondrous Realm of Great Luo combatants.
Suddenly, a mass of thunderfire as brilliant as the sun plummeted from above, crashing with a deafening roar straight into Mount Yanxia. The mountain fractured and disintegrated, its peaks shattering as boulders flew in every direction.
Waste Qingxuan's small courtyard was reduced to ash in the wake of that destructive blast. Only the stone stele radiated formidable divine power, shielding him, but the shockwave sent him tumbling backward through the air alongside the monument.
Midair, Waste Qingxuan saw bursts of thunderfire plunging from beyond the sky, slamming into other parts of Mount Yanxia. His homeland resembled a fiery inferno; countless living beings were obliterated in an instant.
"Why? Why won't you give me even a single place to lie flat?!"
Waste Qingxuan roared toward the heavens, tears streaming down his face. The tremors from above grew increasingly violent, sending him tumbling and rolling until he slammed down alongside the stele at the foot of a mountain ridge.
Here, for the moment, it remained relatively peaceful.
Waste Qingxuan struggled to his feet. When he looked up, he saw a nameless tomb standing before him. The tomb bore no monument, leaving it unknown who was buried within.
Waste Qingxuan stood dazed, staring blankly at the tomb. The stone stele Xu Ying had carved for him stood planted right before the grave.
All around, the heavens crumbled and the earth fractured; within the Yingquan World, not a single pure land remained.
Waste Qingxuan staggered into the tomb, murmuring under his breath, "I only wanted to find a place where I could lie flat, yet you wouldn't grant me even that. In that case, I can only seize it myself..."
The stone stele hummed as divine power swirled around it. The chanting within the auspicious cloud suddenly swelled with magnificent grandeur, bridging the aspirations for the New Dao held by all beings over the past six hundred thousand years.
Surging divine power converged in waves like a grand river of incense, connecting past and present. A portion of the incense offered by every practitioner of the New Dao in the world today began to flow in this direction.
It was the incense divine power Xu Ying had shared with him.
A moment later, Emperor Qingxuan stepped out from the tomb and looked toward the sky.
"Qingxuan, your unfinished ambition—this piece of trash will finish it for you!"
Chapter 663