Xu Ying wore an expectant expression. "After lying low and letting the storm blow over, can this disciple still return to show filial respect to Master?"
Grand Dao Lord Taiyi weighed in his mind whether the "filial respect" Xu Ying spoke of was genuine devotion or merely more trouble. After pondering for a moment, he replied, "As long as you are alive, you may return."
Xu Ying breathed a sigh of relief.
Grand Dao Lord Taiyi immediately set about arranging Xu Ying's departure. Leaving through a cave abyss did not require traversing the Chaos Sea, but one still had to pass through the gelatinous substance between two universes.
This gelatinous substance resembled solidified spacetime. It seemed harmless on the surface, but was treacherous beyond measure; the stronger one's cultivation and power, the easier it was to become ensnared.
The gelatinous substance between the Earth Immortal Realm and Heavenly Immortal Realm in the Three Realms was merely a thin layer, whereas the gelatinous substance separating two universes was tremendously thick.
Xu Ying's cultivation and strength were already extraordinarily profound. Though he had not yet broken through to the Immortal realm, he had cultivated multiple Great Daos to that level.
Crossing the gelatinous substance on his own was virtually impossible. He would inevitably be locked motionless within the gel, unable to stir until calamity arrived and his life and Dao were extinguished.
Yet there was a shortcut through the gelatinous substance: a sacrifice performed in the target universe, allowing one to descend through the power generated by that offering.
When Yinyuanzi had descended upon the Heavenly Immortal Realm, it was precisely through the sacrifices of Clan Elder Tong and others that his Great Dao incarnation had been able to manifest.
For Xu Ying to descend into another universe, Taiyi first had to instruct his lineage's followers in that realm to prepare a massive quantity of offerings—an amount so vast that it would take the Taiyi disciples some time to gather it all.
"Now that matters have escalated beyond resolution and become tangled in the struggle between Dao Masters, Taiyi has only two choices: either hand Xu Ying over, or send him away."
Outside She'an Palace, the three Grand Dao Lords—Shenmo, Life and Death, and Yinyang—along with Daoshengzi, Yu Xuantong, Dao Lord Hunyuan, and others looked toward She'an Palace.
By "sending away" Xu Ying, Taiyi would relieve himself of the burden and extricate himself entirely. Dao Master Hua would hardly make trouble for Taiyi over such a minor matter.
Grand Dao Lord Yinyang said, "Back then, Taiyi took a sword strike from Tongtian, yet they can still join forces today. What an anomaly."
Grand Dao Lord Shenmo said, "Wasn't Tongtian's disciple, Zhangsun Shenghai, sent to study under Taiyi so Taiyi could teach him on Tongtian's behalf?"
Only now that Tongtian had become a Dao Master had he taken his disciple back; thus, Taiyi was considered half in Tongtian's camp.
Daoshengzi asked, "Fellow Daoists, which universe will Taiyi send Xu Ying to?"
The three Grand Dao Lords exchanged glances, and Life and Death shook his head. "Taiyi's thoughts are difficult to guess, but there is no need to divine them. Sending someone to another universe requires preparing a massive quantity of offerings in advance. As soon as those offerings are put to use, our disciples across the various universes will notice. Finding out where Xu Ying went will not be difficult."
The others nodded in agreement and sent word down one after another, instructing their lineages across the various universes to keep close watch on any unusual movements among Taiyi's disciples.
"Reporting to Master: In the Chiyuan Universe, disciples of Taiyi are preparing massive offerings!"
"Reporting to Master: In the Jianan Universe, disciples of Taiyi are preparing massive offerings!"
"Reporting to Master: In the Zhaozhang Universe, disciples of Taiyi are preparing massive offerings!"
All at once, the three Grand Dao Lords, Daoshengzi, Yu Xuantong, and the others looked at one another in bewilderment, unsure which universe Taiyi intended to send Xu Ying to.
"Xu Ying is a rebel from the Three Realms, possessing a spine of pure rebellion so bright it dazzles the eyes! Yet Taiyi goes to such painstaking lengths to protect him! If you ask me, the one who died six hundred thousand years ago wasn't Haoyi, but Taiyi!"
Grand Dao Lord Yinyang cursed in fury, shouting, "The real Taiyi was possessed by Haoyi six hundred thousand years ago!"
Hearing this, everyone felt it actually made a great deal of sense.
Zhangsun Shenghai chuckled and said, "Senior Sister speaks true. Continuing this standoff won't solve anything either. Why don't we both return to report our missions? What do you think, Senior Sister?"
Li Xiao smiled. "That was my thought as well."
Though they said so, neither made a move. If either departed, the other would immediately take Xu Ying away. They simply stared at each other, eyes wide.
Xu Ying had also noticed Grand Dao Lord Taiyi's grand gesture and could not help being moved. He came to see Jiuzeng and asked, "Has Master always been this good to his disciples?"
Jiuzeng replied, "Back then, Master treated Haoyi the exact same way—caring for him meticulously, passing down his true teachings, and introducing him to other True Kings and Dao Lords. Had Haoyi not chosen to rebel and break away from the other shore, Master would still have treated him as he always had, even after being defeated by him."
Xu Ying fell silent for a moment, then said, "Taiyi possesses great magnanimity."
Jiuzeng said, "Haoyi was like that as well. Once Haoyi's cultivation reached great heights back then, he preached the Dao on Master's behalf; he was half a master to disciples like us. It was just that his heart could never belong to the other shore; he always longed to return. Junior Brother Xu, will you become another Haoyi in the future?"
"I am different from Haoyi," Xu Ying said with a smile.
Jiuzeng glanced at him and said, "Why is it that the talented people Master takes a liking to are almost always rebels?"
At last, Grand Dao Lord Taiyi completed his preparations and issued the order, having Taiyi disciples across forty-five universes perform sacrifices to open pathways leading directly to the other shore.
When these forty-five pathways opened, forty-five cave abysses gradually grew luminous within the darkness behind Grand Dao Lord Taiyi. At the other end of each cave abyss lay picturesque mountains and rivers, each connecting to a separate universe.
Xu Ying bowed. "Thank you, Master, for helping me."
Grand Dao Lord Taiyi said, "You are my disciple. If I could not protect your safety, how could I command the respect of others? However, even this cannot protect you completely; people will still track down your whereabouts. When that time comes, you will have to rely on yourself."
Xu Ying acknowledged the warning.
Grand Dao Lord Taiyi had everyone else leave and allowed Xu Ying to choose a cave abyss at his own discretion. In this way, no one would know which cave abyss Xu Ying entered.
Xu Ying rose into the air and entered one of the cave abysses. The cave abyss rotated, growing deeper and deeper, like a corridor connecting to another dimension of spacetime.
In the Chaos Sea, separate universes lay vast distances apart. Within the Chaos Sea, there was no spacetime connecting different universes, but the emergence of cave abysses shattered this limitation.
When a cultivator of one universe summoned a cave abyss and drew it forth from another universe, the passage was already established. A peculiar connection spanning great distance and transcending chaos formed between the cave abyss's creator and its summoner.
This kind of passage did not require traversing the Chaos Sea; it was a conduit that bridged chaos directly. Consequently, while traveling through it, one would also encounter the interception of chaotic spacetime—and this interception took the form of the gelatinous substance.
Xu Ying was currently passing through this gelatinous substance. The sacrifice from the other universe was akin to an exchange of spiritual energy: however much spiritual energy was sacrificed, an equal amount of spiritual energy was exchanged in return.
To exchange for a powerhouse of his caliber required a frighteningly vast amount of spiritual energy.
This was the first time Xu Ying had traveled to another universe through a cave abyss, and he found everything novel and fascinating. A strange power enveloped him, carrying him through the gelatinous substance. All around him was a peculiar radiance, and beyond that light lay pitch-black darkness, hiding everything from view.
Gradually, however, he lost interest. The sacrificial force continued to carry him toward the other universe, yet there was still no end in sight. "I wonder how long traveling through a cave abyss takes to reach another universe?" Xu Ying thought to himself.
After an unknown period, Xu Ying simply began contemplating and cultivating the Chaos Great Dao. His attainment in the Chaos Great Dao was still somewhat lacking.
After sending Xu Ying away, Grand Dao Lord Taiyi stepped out of She'an Palace and said to Zhangsun Shenghai and Li Xiao, "My unruly disciple Xu Ying is not in She'an Palace. Hearing that word of his actions had leaked, the boy fled overnight to another universe. Emissaries, please return."
"Xu Ying is an old acquaintance of my master, Lord Tongtian. There must be some misunderstanding here," Zhangsun Shenghai said with a mild expression. "In the future, Lord Tongtian will surely clear his name."
Li Xiao asked, "Does the Grand Dao Lord know which universe Xu Ying fled to?"
Taiyi shook his head. "I do not."
Li Xiao said with regret, "Without knowing which universe he fled to, finding him will be quite troublesome. Since Xu Ying is not here, I will intrude no further. Farewell."
Grand Dao Lord Taiyi saw them off. Seeing this, the other Immortals, True Kings, Dao Lords, and Grand Dao Lords realized they would get no information regarding Xu Ying from Grand Dao Lord Taiyi, and had no choice but to depart one by one...
Grand Dao Lord of Life and Death said, "Taiyi sent Xu Ying away, but locating him is only a matter of time. By probing these universes one by one, we will find him eventually!"
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Dao Lord Hunyuan, Yu Xuantong, and the others knew that Xu Ying possessed the Hongyuan and the big bell, which made their desires burn even hotter: "Joining the others to march on the Taiyi Sect meant that even if Grand Dao Lord Taiyi surrendered Xu Ying, we wouldn't claim the greatest spoils. Now that Xu Ying has been exiled to another universe, our chance has finally arrived!"
To them, finding Xu Ying before anyone else was one of their few chances to seize the Hongyuan and the big bell.
Having quelled the conflict, Grand Dao Lord Taiyi returned to Yaoguang Hall. Just as he was about to enter closed-door cultivation, Dao Lord Jiuzeng arrived and said, "Master, while you were in seclusion, Junior Brother Xu accepted a disciple on your behalf."
Taiyi was utterly stunned. "Accepted a disciple on my behalf?"
Jiuzeng confirmed this, then called outside the hall, "Junior Brother Qingxuan, come in."
Useless Qingxuan acknowledged and stepped into the hall, bowing before Taiyi.
Taiyi scrutinized him from head to toe and could not help being moved. "Fellow Daoist, you are already an Immortal. Why would you become my disciple?"
"This disciple hails from the Three Realms and has no foothold here, so I sought shelter beneath Master's banner," Useless Qingxuan replied.
Grand Dao Lord Taiyi remained silent for a moment before speaking slowly, "Another from the Three Realms?"
Useless Qingxuan confirmed it.
"Turn around."
Useless Qingxuan complied and turned his back.
Grand Dao Lord Taiyi carefully inspected the back of his head. Jiuzeng whispered, "Master, I already checked. He has no rebel's ridge back there."
Taiyi said, "Turn back around."
Useless Qingxuan turned back around.
Taiyi said, "Though there is a disparity in our cultivation, our realms are equivalent. For you to bow to me as your master defies propriety."
Useless Qingxuan replied, "This disciple made his start in the Three Realms by cultivating the Taiyi Enlightenment, and summoned the Taiyi cave abyss through the Taiyi Great Dao, which was how I succeeded in rebelling in the Three Realms."
Hearing this, Taiyi shot a glance at Jiuzeng.
Jiuzeng scratched his head and whispered, "I've watched him—he's gluttonous, lazy, and riddled with bad habits. He doesn't look like someone fond of rebelling."
Taiyi said, "Since you cultivated the harvesting technique I handed down in those years, there is some destiny between us after all. You may stay under my sect, and I shall treat you as my disciple. However, since you are now my disciple, there is no need to study those past harvesting methods any longer."
He instructed, "Remember, once you arrive at the other shore, you belong to the Sacred Clan of the other shore, and are no longer a person of the Three Realms."
Useless Qingxuan acknowledged and asked, "After joining the sect, is this disciple ranked above Xu Ying or below him?"
Taiyi said, "You are already an Immortal; naturally, you are above him."
Useless Qingxuan felt secretly overjoyed and inquired, "Master, has Junior Brother Xu arrived in the other universe?"
Taiyi checked closely upon hearing this and was taken aback. Shaking his head, he said, "Not yet. Strange... he must have other things on him, causing him to require even more spiritual energy to enter that other universe."
Useless Qingxuan said, "He carries a big bell on him."
Taiyi shook his head. "Even if he carried an Immortal treasure, the sacrificed spiritual energy would have been enough to get him there. There must be something else on him, something far stronger than an Immortal treasure, requiring immense spiritual energy!"
Useless Qingxuan and Jiuzeng acknowledged and were about to withdraw.
Taiyi inspected the situation again, his expression growing somewhat solemn. "He is still en route. The disciples on the other side have already exhausted their entire fortune in sacrifices and are now preparing to sacrifice powerful experts!"
The two repeatedly exclaimed, "Strange! Truly strange!"
Grand Dao Lord Taiyi said, "The things on his person require many times more spiritual energy than he does alone! It is nearly equivalent to exchanging for a Grand Dao Lord! The disciples in that universe simply do not possess enough wealth to exchange for him."
Useless Qingxuan and Jiuzeng exchanged glances. "Then what should be done?"
Grand Dao Lord Taiyi pondered, "As things stand, we can only see if he can walk across by himself. With his current abilities, traversing my cave abyss and entering that universe isn't difficult; it will merely take some time."
Useless Qingxuan hurriedly asked, "How long?"
Grand Dao Lord Taiyi said, "He carries the cultivation equivalent of a Grand Dao Lord, yet possesses only the strength of an Immortal. Calculating by a Grand Dao Lord's cultivation, walking across would take about one hundred thousand years. Fortunately, the other side has already sacrificed most of the spiritual energy, so he has covered most of the journey. With his strength, reaching the other side should still take another twenty to thirty thousand years."
He felt rather melancholy—he himself still needed twenty to thirty thousand years before he could attain the Dao of a Dao Master!
"Bizarre. Just what does he have on him that is so powerful, not a whit inferior to me?"
Inside the Taiyi cave abyss, Xu Ying was still moving through the gelatinous substance, but his speed grew slower and slower. At times, he ground to a complete halt; only after ten days or half a month would another sacrifice renew the spiritual energy, allowing him to take a few more steps forward.
Then, the sacrificial energy would cut off once more.
After this repeated several times, Xu Ying could not help feeling impatient. He circulated the Martial Ultimate Dao Attainment, exerting every ounce of his strength to forge ahead. Yet the resistance from the gelatinous substance was unimaginably immense. Like a mosquito trapped in amber resin, the harder he struggled, the stickier it became. Every movement turned excruciatingly slow, taking months just to take a single step!
"Grandpa Bell!"
With a shout, the big bell flew out, tolling loudly and finally loosening the surrounding gelatinous substance slightly.
Xu Ying seized the opportunity to shift his posture, taking half an age to manage a single step.
The big bell soon found it harder and harder to hold on, and hastily called out, "Grandpa Lotus, come out and help!"
From Xu Ying's chaos cave abyss, the Chaos Lotus Pond flew out. Supporting that Hongyuan, the chaos lotus floated lazily into the gelatinous zone, only to become completely immobilized the next moment.
The chaos lotus struggled mightily, but could only flutter a single leaf, its petals twitching as if having a spasm.
"Grandpa Bell, activate Grandpa Lotus with me! Let's combine our strength and blast open a path!" Xu Ying shouted.
Man and bell immediately activated the chaos lotus, unleashing its power. With a loud hum, the lotus shuddered, unleashing a deluge of boundless spiritual light that surged forward and blasted a channel through the gelatinous zone!
Xu Ying immediately felt the pressure ease drastically, and he hurriedly advanced, bringing the big bell and Grandpa Lotus along.
Before going very far, he was frozen by the gelatinous substance once again. Xu Ying and the big bell followed the same tactic, unleashing the chaos lotus forward once more to gain another stretch of ground.
In this manner, after an untold span of time, whenever Xu Ying and the big bell exhausted their magical power, they would stop to rest. Once their cultivation recovered, they would unleash the chaos lotus again. Their pace was surprisingly brisk, drawing steadily closer to the other universe.
On this day, Xu Ying and the big bell activated the chaos lotus once more, about to blast their way forward, when suddenly the chaos lotus extended a lotus root, nudged Xu Ying, and pointed to the side.
Xu Ying looked over, only to see that not far away, a person was actually trapped motionless within the gelatinous substance.
Chapter 774