At the very moment Xu Ying entered the Dao, the various Nirvanic Extinction Dao powers within him erupted. In an instant, the Grand Dao of Nirvanic Extinction submerged his Dao heart, replaced by a boundless urge for destruction!
At the same time Dao Zongyuan thrust out a finger, Xu Ying's body suddenly expanded, and in the next moment, he transformed into a Nirvanic Extinction Hongyuan even vaster than the ruins of the Yuan Realm!
How colossal was Dao Zongyuan's physical body?
Before him, even the World-Crossing Golden Ship was like a mere leaf, and the boundless, vast Abyss Sea was comparable only to an ordinary cave abyss.
Yet before the Nirvanic fire Hongyuan that Xu Ying had become, Dao Zongyuan actually appeared far smaller, as though he might be swallowed whole by the Nirvanic Extinction Hongyuan at any moment!
Yet as Dao Zongyuan pointed out that finger, he suppressed the Nirvanic Extinction Hongyuan, causing it to gradually shift from the state of a Hongyuan toward human form.
"Dao Zongyuan, you are a master of the Grand Dao! Let me ask you: do you walk in accord with the Dao, or do you go against it?"
The Hongyuan assumed human form, taking on Xu Ying's likeness, yet its stature remained immense, no smaller than Dao Zongyuan. Radiating a malevolent aura bent on destroying all things, it barked, "Do you seek the Dao, confirm the Dao, achieve the Dao, and attain the Dao, or do you defy the Grand Dao of Heaven and Earth?"
Dao Zongyuan's heart jolted, knowing Xu Ying was trying to disturb his Dao heart.
'If I answer that I follow the Dao, he will say Nirvanic Extinction is the ultimate destination of the Grand Dao. If I answer that I defy the Dao, he will ask how one can seek, confirm, achieve, and attain the Dao by defying it. If an ordinary person were questioned like this, even the slightest hesitation in their Dao heart would give him an opening to exploit.'
Thinking this, Dao Zongyuan said, "The so-called accord or defiance lies entirely within my own will. Originally, I had only a lifespan of a hundred years. To seek longevity and attain freedom was to go against the Dao. Amid defying the Dao, I accorded with the Grand Dao of Heaven and Earth, and thus confirmed the Dao and achieved the Dao. And upon achieving the Dao, I defied the Dao once more, and thereby attained the Dao."
Xu Ying charged straight at Dao Zongyuan. With every gesture and stride, myriad Daos all around extinguished, and swaths of Dao snow fluttered down thickly!
Dao Zongyuan, Dao Master though he was, could not help feeling his heart leap into his throat. 'The Grand Dao of Nirvanic Extinction is truly eerie!'
As he tapped his fingers, he forced the Nirvanic Xu Ying back. After failing several attacks, the Nirvanic Xu Ying immediately wheeled around and charged at Min Bo, Guo Daozi, and the other ruin masters, yelling, "I'll slaughter these short runts first, then come back to kill you!"
Min Bo had made no progress in his cultivation over all these years. Facing Xu Ying, who had transformed into Nirvanic Extinction, how could he possibly be a match?
With a single move, Xu Ying seized Min Bo. With a snap, he opened his bloody maw and prepared to shove the old man into his belly to extinguish him into nirvana.
Seeing this, the other Yuan Realm Immortals frantically hurled divine powers at him with desperate abandon, and immensely powerful magic treasures struck Xu Ying one after another.
Yet the moment those divine powers approached Xu Ying, they were absorbed and assimilated into Nirvanic Extinction Dao power. Even as the magic treasures bombarded him, their power waned at staggering speed, their Grand Dao imprints turning into fluttering Dao snow!
These magic treasures seemed to have weathered hundreds of millions of years, turning rust-pitted and steadily decaying!
Min Bo thought, 'I'm done for!' Just as he was about to fall into Xu Ying's belly, Dao Zongyuan suddenly pointed a finger, striking Xu Ying's hand back and sending Min Bo flying free.
Enraged, Xu Ying pounced toward Yin Hong, who was not far off. Yin Hong spurred his Dao methods and shouted, "Come on then!"
In the very next instant, Yin Hong's own Dao nearly collapsed. Xu Ying snatched him by the neck, hoisted him like a chick, and opened his huge mouth to stuff him into his belly.
At that moment, Yin Hong could clearly see Xu Ying's uvula and churning innards.
Dao Zongyuan intervened once more and rescued Yin Hong.
Infuriated, Xu Ying took to the air and fled into the distance, crying out, "Then I shall destroy this world right now!"
Xu Ying surged outward with all his might, but Dao Zongyuan suppressed him with supreme force. Dao Zongyuan's palm descended, pressing him right back into the Yuan Realm, where his five fingers transformed into a cage to lock Xu Ying inside.
"The Dao Master possesses boundless divine powers to suppress this fiend!"
Their wits barely gathered, Min Bo, Yin Hong, and the others stepped forward one after another, praising him and urging, "Quickly execute him!"
Dao Zongyuan was secretly astonished as well. He had originally thought this would be an easy, leisurely task, never expecting trouble to arise the instant Xu Ying entered the Dao.
Xu Ying was now controlled by the Grand Dao of Nirvanic Extinction while retaining his own memories. Crucially, even as a master of the Grand Dao, Dao Zongyuan was unable to control the Grand Dao of Nirvanic Extinction, and thus could not help Xu Ying calm its backlash!
Yet this was hardly his fault. A master of the Grand Dao could control the Daos of Heaven and Earth across the universe, but Nirvanic Extinction was not among them.
When the Nirvanic Extinction Tribulation erupted, even Dao Masters were targets marked for destruction. Therefore, it was impossible for the Dao Master realm to master the Grand Dao of Nirvanic Extinction. If it could be mastered, the Nirvanic Extinction Tribulation would never erupt in the first place.
Within the cage formed by Dao Zongyuan's five fingers, Xu Ying remained restless, striking at the bars in an attempt to break out.
Then he suddenly transformed into a Nirvanic Extinction Hongyuan, attempting to drag the cage into it.
Dao Zongyuan attempted to enter Xu Ying's sea of consciousness in the form of divine consciousness to help him suppress the backlash of the Grand Dao of Nirvanic Extinction! Yet the moment his divine consciousness made contact with Xu Ying, it vanished without a trace.
'Now we're in trouble,' Dao Zongyuan thought helplessly. 'At this point, we can only hope he comprehends the Grand Dao of Nirvanic Extinction, refines the Dao power within him, and awakens on his own.'
He drew several talismans to bless Xu Ying, aiding him in nourishing his Dao heart.
Dao Zongyuan let out a breath and smiled. "That Fellow Daoist Xu could wake up is truly a blessing." Just as he was about to disperse the cage, a sudden thought struck him, and he asked, "Fellow Daoist Xu, we in the Yuan Realm have evaded tribulation fortune to this day. Having mastered the Dao of Tribulation Fortune, you surely know how to avert calamity, do you not? Might I consult you?"
Xu Ying answered bluntly, "You all should submit to tribulation fortune and let me reduce you to ashes."
Dao Zongyuan shouted, "You are indeed still under its control!"
He immediately reinforced the seal.
Xu Ying flew into a rage and yelled, "Old thief surnamed Dao, once your granddaddy gets out, the first thing I'll do is wipe out your Yuan Realm and send your whole clan to be reunited! What pure bliss that will be!"
Dao Zongyuan turned a deaf ear and kept him suppressed.
Dao Zongyuan asked several more questions, and Xu Ying answered them like a completely normal person, showing not the slightest flaw.
Dao Zongyuan then dispersed the cage and summoned Min Bo.
Seeing Min Bo standing before him, Xu Ying's eyelid twitched. His neck suddenly shook, his head swelling to the size of a mountain, and with a snap, he bit Min Bo, swallowing most of him until only a pair of feet dangled outside!
Min Bo braced both hands against his gullet, struggling frantically in mortal dread of dropping into his stomach. Inside those bowels was the core of a Nirvanic Extinction Hongyuan, which destroyed and shredded all things; tumbling into it meant certain death!
"You truly haven't recovered!"
Dao Zongyuan sneered, spreading his five fingers to suppress Xu Ying once more.
"Min Bo is still in his mouth!" Guo Daozi hurriedly reminded him.
Realizing his oversight, Dao Zongyuan rescued Min Bo. Shaken to the core, Min Bo dared not step forward again when Dao Zongyuan called him over.
Dao Zongyuan looked Xu Ying up and down repeatedly, unable to detect anything amiss, and said, "You were possessed by the Grand Dao of Nirvanic Extinction and sought to unleash terrible might to destroy the world, so I had no choice but to suppress you."
Xu Ying appeared thoroughly ashamed and said, "To think I committed such an absurd act—it mortifies me to death! Brother Dao, I am completely cured now. Please let me out."
Dao Zongyuan let him out and summoned Min Bo again.
Trembling with terror, Min Bo crept forward, ready to flee at a moment's notice.
Xu Ying wore an amiable smile, making no move to open a gaping bloody maw.
Dao Zongyuan smiled. "Fellow Daoist Xu has truly brought the Grand Dao of Nirvanic Extinction under control. Congratulations, congratulations!"
Xu Ying smiled. "The joy is shared, the joy is shared!"
Dao Zongyuan then clapped his hands, and a group of Immortals stepped forward carrying large platters, upon which sat trembling boys and girls—the young disciples of these Yuan Realm Immortals.
Dao Zongyuan smiled. "It is a rare occasion for Fellow Daoist Xu to control the Grand Dao of Nirvanic Extinction. Are you pleased with this feast?"
Overjoyed, Xu Ying beamed. "Pleased! Of course I am pleased!"
With that, he lifted a young girl, opening his wide mouth to stuff her inside.
A moment later, Xu Ying was once again suppressed inside the cage, hurling curses at Dao Zongyuan: "Old rascal Zongyuan, how dare you trick me! Once I get out, I'll scatter even the ashes of your Yuan Realm to the winds!"
Over the following months, Xu Ying would deceive Dao Zongyuan from time to time, claiming he had already recovered.
Dao Zongyuan always found ways to test whether he had truly returned to normal. But as the attempts mounted, Dao Zongyuan grew weary of it. No matter how Xu Ying raised a ruckus inside the cage, he simply refused to open it.
"Brother Dao, this time I truly have regained my senses!"
Xu Ying woke and hurriedly told Dao Zongyuan, "I really have brought the Grand Dao of Nirvanic Extinction under control! Look at the Nirvanic Extinction cave abyss behind me!"
Dao Zongyuan looked over, and indeed, a Nirvanic Extinction cave abyss hovered behind Xu Ying. He sneered, "Still trying to trick me?..."
Xu Ying hurriedly switched to another cave abyss and said, "I have a Chaos cave abyss here too! Look, look! In the state of Nirvanic Extinction, I could never deploy a Chaos cave abyss."
Dao Zongyuan sneered, "I won't fall for your tricks again!"
"Dao Zongyuan, at least check my sea of consciousness!" Xu Ying said in frustration.
Dao Zongyuan laughed. "Fiend, you just want to trick my divine consciousness into being eaten!"
Xu Ying flared up and shouted, "Brother Dao, at least check! I really have recovered! Look, I can switch between various cave abysses and channel different Daos! I can even make myself into a Hongyuan!"
He channeled his Hongyuan reverse confirmation cultivation technique, cycling it smoothly. The Nine Innate Daos shifted unpredictably, seamless and fluid beyond compare.
Dao Zongyuan watched and sneered, "Still trying to trick me? You've absorbed Fellow Daoist Xu's memories and your disguise is getting better and better!"
Seeing that nothing would get through to him, Xu Ying raged, "Dao Zongyuan, just wait until I get out! We're not finished!"
He unleashed all manner of divine powers in an attempt to breach Dao Zongyuan's seal, yet escape remained out of reach. Xu Ying resorted to void divine powers, attempting to flee through the void, but even the void had been locked down by Dao Zongyuan, leaving him nowhere to run and nowhere to hide.
"Brother Dao, I'm truly cured!"
Xu Ying clamored inside the cage, shouting that he was cured and displaying all sorts of signs that he was fine. Later, he broke into foul curses, berating Dao Zongyuan for being muddle-headed and blind to his recovery.
After that, Xu Ying stopped yelling and making a scene altogether, squatting obediently in the cage and cultivating his Dao methods on his own.
More than four years passed in this manner. Dao Zongyuan's heart suddenly stirred: 'He hasn't stirred up any trouble for these past few years. Could he really be cured?'
He observed Xu Ying, growing more suspicious the longer he looked.
Dao Zongyuan said, "Fellow Daoist Xu was overtaken by the Grand Dao of Nirvanic Extinction and has now become a puppet of Nirvanic Extinction. Capable of myriad transformations, he seeks to destroy the world the moment he emerges. Trapped as he is by me, I dare not release him."
Hearing this, Yuan Weiyang asked, "May I see him?"
Dao Zongyuan led her to the cage. Inside, Xu Ying sat disheveled and unkempt, with stubble covering his face, quietly comprehending the Dao.
Yuan Weiyang cleared her throat and called out, "Husband, are you well?"
At her voice, Xu Ying gave a violent start. Slowly opening his eyes, he suddenly lunged toward the cage's edge and shouted, "Weiyang, get me out of here!"
After observing him for a moment, Yuan Weiyang turned to Dao Zongyuan and said, "Yingzi should be back to normal. Please release him, Brother Dao."
Dao Zongyuan hesitated. "After succumbing to Nirvanic Extinction, he became vicious and cunning, adept at deception. Madam Dao Ancestor, if he slips away, I fear even I might not be able to capture him."
Yuan Weiyang chuckled. "I know my husband. There will be no mistake."
Seeing this, Dao Zongyuan dispersed the cage and set Xu Ying free.
Xu Ying breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly hugged Yuan Weiyang. Dao Zongyuan covertly prepared a divine power, ready to intervene the moment Xu Ying opened his maw to swallow her.
Fortunately, none of that happened.
"If Brother Dao is still uneasy, inspect his sea of consciousness, and you will know whether he has recovered," Yuan Weiyang suggested.
Still somewhat skeptical, Dao Zongyuan checked Xu Ying's sea of consciousness. Finding it crystal-clear, with Dao Ancestor Xu's mind fully lucid within, he finally realized he had kept Xu Ying locked up for several years too long!
"Dao Ancestor Xu, why didn't you say so sooner?" Dao Zongyuan stamped his foot repeatedly in chagrin.
Xu Ying replied, "I did say so, but you wouldn't believe me."
Blushing with embarrassment, Dao Zongyuan said, "Fellow Daoist tricked me too many times. I couldn't be certain you were truly lucid. Thank goodness Madam Dao Ancestor arrived, or who knows how long my mistake would have dragged on."
Since Xu Ying had asked him for help in the first place, he could hardly blame him. He said, "Brother Dao, you must never speak of this to anyone."
Understanding, Dao Zongyuan said, "I will order everyone in the Yuan Realm not to utter a single word about this."
Only then did Xu Ying feel at ease. Taking his leave of Dao Zongyuan, the couple returned to the Earth Immortal Realm.
"Madam, let this matter rot in your belly," Xu Ying said.
Yuan Weiyang feigned astonishment. "What matter? My husband was refining Nirvanic Extinction Dao power, cultivating the Grand Dao of Nirvanic Extinction, and lingered so long that he forgot to return. I merely came to find him."
Chapter 809