That elder with the fine beard was none other than Dao Master Xuanhong, formerly known in those days as Xuanhongzi, and a pureblood of the other shore's Saint race.
Dao Master Xuanhong's gaze fell upon Dao Master Hua, and he spoke slowly, "Fellow Daoist Hua, your bearing is undiminished from years past. Standing beneath the cherry blossom tree, you remind me once more of your heroic figure felling the cherry blossoms."
Dao Master Hua's expression remained calm as he smiled. "I never chopped down any cherry blossom tree; that was merely an error spread by word of mouth. In truth, I attained enlightenment beneath the cherry blossoms. Seeing the petals drifting down in profusion, I derived a set of axe techniques. Over time, rumor distorted it into me chopping down the cherry tree."
Xuanhong said, "The mortals of the world require myths and faith, so we on the other shore forged myths and faith for them. Fellow Daoist Hua, where is your Falling Petals Divine Axe?"
Dao Master Hua showed his empty hands and replied, "I was wounded by the Dao Venerable; my divine axe was left in his possession."
Xuanhong sighed. "As expected. When Xu Ying revived me, you originally had the chance to act, driving the Lingxing Gate to slay him, yet you delayed and never made a move. At the time, I could not puzzle it out, but upon careful thought afterward, I knew you must have suffered grievous wounds."
Dao Master Hua smiled and said, "Xuanhong, you are as presumptuous as ever. I did not kill Xu Ying and let him revive you—could it not simply be that I needed someone to bear the infamy of slaughtering the cultivators of the other shore?"
Xuanhong was thoroughly perplexed.
Dao Master Hua laughed. "I always intended to revive you all. However, reviving you this time required sacrificing far too many experts of the other shore. In the past, it was mere child's play—dispatching a few alien Immortals underground on their way was enough to complete a revival. But for this sacrifice, far too many died, and not a few of them were our own people. Even I am somewhat wary of such infamy."
He sighed with feeling, "I originally planned to remain here to nurse my wounds and let Fellow Daoist Lin and Fellow Daoist Luo handle it so they would bear the blame, but those two are old foxes as well. Since Xu Ying took the initiative to wade into these muddy waters, why shouldn't I push the boat with the current and let him bear the infamy of butchering the cultivators of the other shore?"
Dao Master Xuanhong fell silent for a moment, then asked, "Is calamitous destiny truly so terrifying?"
Dao Master Hua smiled faintly. "If the tribulation were not terrifying, why did we slaughter one another back then? In those days, we butchered each other to dispel calamitous destiny, killing until only three remained in the end. Xuanhong, you should know this well, so why ask more?"
Dao Master Xuanhong sighed and said, "I ought not take advantage of someone's vulnerability, but if you continue to monopolize the other shore, Dao Brother, it will only make the other shore grow weaker and weaker."
Dao Master Hua laughed. "Taking advantage of someone in danger is human nature. But have you considered that perhaps my injuries are not as severe as you imagine? Perhaps I merely showed weakness to bait an enemy into striking first, so that by slaying them, I could dispel my calamitous destiny?"
His gaze gradually turned cold and grim, yet the smile on his face never wavered.
Dao Master Xuanhong's face shifted abruptly. He suddenly transformed into a blazing rainbow of fire and tore through the void. At that very instant, an arc of axe light flew out from behind Dao Master Hua, cleaving down toward the rainbow!
The axe light was not a magic treasure but a divine power, yet it was peerlessly fierce and unyielding. As the single axe cleaved down, it locked onto Xuanhong and froze space-time!
The axe light fell, and Dao Master Xuanhong was decapitated on the spot, dissipating into a cloud of innate fire qi.
Dao Master Hua was taken aback. "A Dao body? Xuanhong, when did you learn to be so cunning?"
Beyond Daoji Heaven, the true Dao Master Xuanhong stood aloft in the starry sky. Sensing his Dao body being severed, he exhaled a breath of turbid air and muttered under his breath, "As expected. Hua Shengsheng is indeed a wily old fox—I cannot contend against him alone!"
He finally made up his mind and hurried toward Tianjing, thinking to himself, *If the Dao Venerable can accommodate a Ji Cang, he can accommodate a Xuanhong as well!*
Inside Longxing Temple, the space-time torn open by Grand Dao Lord Taiyi slowly sealed shut.
Xu Ying tumbled into the space-time of Longxing Temple, his body jolting through space and time. Behind him, the pursuing Grand Dao Lord Shenmo and a host of hunters also tumbled into this chaotic space-time. Countless scenes rushed at them, and they shot through them at ever-increasing speed!
Eventually, the scenes blended into a single line, turning into halo after halo before their eyes. They fell toward the halos as though entering samsara, yet it was not quite reincarnation.
After a moment, their falling speed gradually slowed. Scene after scene greeted them until the final picture framed them within, and everything before their eyes burst into rich, vibrant color.
The moment Xu Ying landed, he raised the Apricot Yellow Banner in one hand and held up the big bell in the other, simultaneously circulating the Grand Dao Record of Hongyuan Reverse Proof, ready at any second to meet an attack from Grand Dao Lord Shenmo!
*Swish—*
He vaulted into the void and vanished without a trace. When he emerged, he was already tens of millions of li away from his landing point.
Putting away the Apricot Yellow Banner and the big bell, Xu Ying altered his appearance into the form of an other shore Saint race native, thinking, *Better to blend into the crowd; I doubt Grand Dao Lord Shenmo could see through my disguise... Wait, is this still Longxing Temple?*
He looked around, only to see Dao snow drifting and falling.
These ashes of the Great Dao fluttered down, blanketing the other shore.
Xu Ying froze. "Where did this Dao ash come from?"
He raised his head, gazing blankly toward the skies beyond.
The vast, boundless continent of Tianjing stood beyond the heavens—immense and serene. Countless stars and galaxies shrank into utter insignificance before it.
"Tianjing's stranding!"
Xu Ying's heart skipped a beat. *To be precise, I have arrived after Tianjing and the other shore ran aground. The Dao ash here is actually the catastrophe of the other shore triggered when the first batch of Dao seekers returned after finishing their studies in Tianjing.*
Back then, the Saint race of the other shore had been nothing more than a band of barbarians with only crude, primitive cultivation methods and no profound arts; their Dao pattern structures were exceedingly rudimentary. After Tianjing ran aground, they journeyed to Tianjing to seek the Dao. The Dao Venerable of Tianjing then imparted profound Dao methods to them, including reason patterns.
Once their studies were complete and they returned to the other shore, those reason patterns triggered a cataclysmic upheaval in the Great Dao of heaven and earth on the other shore, transforming it into the Great Dao of heaven and earth of Tianjing!
*The first Dao seekers of the other shore brought back the civilization of Tianjing, thinking they would bring blessings to the world, only to inadvertently usher in immense slaughter and death,* Xu Ying thought.
Beneath his feet, bones littered the ground. Death had evidently been unfolding for a long time.
Looking as far as the eye could see, there was no sign of human life for ten thousand li. The dead in this catastrophe of the other shore were surely no fewer than those who had perished in the Three Realms back then!
Xu Ying looked up. Floating in the sky above the other shore was a massive white snake biting its own tail, head joined to tail to form a giant circle.
How thick the serpent was, none could say; how long it was, none could measure. The area enclosed by its great circle was likely vaster than a world of the heavens.
The giant serpent revolved in the heavens, yet its eyes rolled about, watching them.
The serpent's body was truly colossal, and its eyes shone as brilliantly as the sun and moon in the sky.
It was swallowing its own tail, as if attempting to swallow itself into its own belly. Yet for every section it devoured, another section grew, cycling endlessly without end.
Xu Ying gazed at the great serpent and suddenly froze. *Head joining tail... this is a space-time loop, a form of samsara...*
His eyes flickered. The Great Dao Master trapped within Longxing Temple had attained the Dao through the Great Dao of Space-Time!
Just then, a voice called out, "Brother, Fellow Daoist Hua has summoned all cultivators to attend the Qionghua Island Assembly to deliberate upon the catastrophe!"
Xu Ying looked back, only to see the young Dao Master Luo driving up in a carriage and stopping not far away.
Xu Ying froze.
Dao Master Luo stood up from the carriage and smiled. "We are gathering to discuss grand affairs. Since you have survived to this day, Fellow Daoist, your cultivation must be extraordinary. Why not ride with me?"
As if guided by ghosts and gods, Xu Ying nodded. "Many thanks, Dao Brother."
He boarded Dao Master Luo's carriage. Once both were seated, Dao Master Luo said with a smile, "My surname is Luo, given name Shizong. May I ask your honored name?"
Xu Ying said, "My surname is Ying, with the single given name Xu. Dao Brother Luo, this time Dao Mas—Dao Brother Hua is calling everyone to deliberate on grand affairs—may I ask what great matter is being discussed?"
The young Dao Master Luo shook his head. "Ever since returning from Tianjing and the outbreak of this catastrophe, he has been constantly weighed down with gloom. Summoning us this time is most likely to find a way to deal with the catastrophe."
Xu Ying nodded gently.
Dao Master Luo asked, "Fellow Daoist Ying is young—what cultivation art do you practice?"
Xu Ying smiled. "My cultivation is eclectic. I cultivate Taiyi, I cultivate Reincarnation, and I dabble in Karma as well. But what I cultivate best is the Great Dao of Space-Time."
Dao Master Luo said in surprise, "Among the Daos you cultivate, aside from Space-Time, the others all belong to the Nine Innate Daos. Those nine Daos are exceedingly difficult to cultivate."
Xu Ying laughed. "I only practice them for fun. The Dao Venerable taught a lot, so I practiced a lot. The Nine Innate Daos are indeed extremely difficult, but the Great Dao of Space-Time is merely a lower Dao—simple enough that one can master it as soon as one learns it."
Dao Master Luo chuckled. "How could anything be mastered the moment it is learned? Surely you jest? Fellow Daoist Ying, Space-Time is unfathomably profound, the most powerful Dao outside the Nine Innate Daos, and can even stand shoulder to shoulder with them!"
Xu Ying shook his head. "Fellow Daoist Luo, you have never cultivated the Great Dao of Space-Time, so your experience is far too shallow. I have cultivated it, and my vision and understanding surpass yours by far."
Dao Master Luo grew somewhat displeased. "I have some understanding of the Great Dao of Space-Time as well. We might as well compare notes."
Xu Ying smiled and said, "I wouldn't presume to call it comparing notes. You merely have a slight understanding, whereas my attainment is exceedingly profound. I can simply give you some guidance. If you have any questions, feel free to ask."
Dao Master Luo gave a snort. "Let me ask you: if one cultivates the Great Dao of Space-Time, can one return to the past and alter the past?"
"Yes," Xu Ying replied decisively.
Dao Master Luo burst into laughter. "You've betrayed your ignorance! Space-time is immutable; all that has passed is gone forever and cannot be altered! You claim to be well-versed in the Great Dao of Space-Time, yet you do not even understand this principle!"
Xu Ying smiled faintly. "Fellow Daoist Luo, when I said you were shallow, you refused to accept it. Let me ask you: when the Great Dao of Space-Time is cultivated to the Dao Master realm, the Dao Master can grasp space-time. To him, the past, present, and future, the formation, existence, decay, and emptiness of the cosmic Hongyuan, all reside within the space-time of this Hongyuan. Am I right?"
Dao Master Luo nodded slightly. "That is so."
Xu Ying said unhurriedly, "Since the cosmic Hongyuan is fated to be destroyed and return to chaos from the very moment of its birth from chaos, it means everything spawned within the universe will ultimately settle its karma and cease to exist. All life unable to survive through nirvanic extinction is destined to return to chaos; therefore, whatever happens during the process is of no consequence."
Analyzing it in detail, he laid out his understanding of space-time: "Since the process is of no consequence, a being who cultivates the Great Dao of Space-Time can alter the past to kill someone, erasing that person from the timeline!"
"Utter nonsense!"
Before Dao Master Luo could speak, an angry voice shouted from outside. Dao Master Luo hurried to halt the carriage, looked out, and smiled. "So it is Tianchengzi! Tianchengzi, are you heading to the Qionghua Island Assembly as well?"
He turned to Xu Ying and said, "This Tianchengzi is an intimate friend of mine who specializes in the Great Dao of Space-Time! It was from him that I learned the Great Dao of Space-Time! You have met a true expert this time!"
Outside the carriage stood a young Saint race native with raven hair standing on end. Among the Saint race, his appearance seemed somewhat delicate and refined. Paying no heed to Dao Master Luo, he looked straight at Xu Ying and demanded, "If the past could be altered, wouldn't that mean a Dao Master who has mastered the Great Dao of Space-Time could return to the past and kill whomever he pleases?"
Xu Ying smiled faintly with an unfathomable air. "The space-time cycle of which I speak takes the birth and nirvanic extinction of a cosmic Hongyuan as a single year—one year, one cycle of reincarnation. If one has not cultivated the Great Dao of Space-Time to the point of comprehending Reincarnation from Space-Time, and from Reincarnation comprehending an entire reincarnation year, then one cannot alter the timeline."
The Saint race native named Tianchengzi froze.
Xu Ying lifted his eyes to look outside. The ouroboros remained suspended in the sky; wherever they went, the ouroboros followed.
Retracting his gaze, he said leisurely, "If one has merely attained the Dao in Space-Time and grasped only the barest surface of the Reincarnation Great Dao without attaining the Dao in Reincarnation, remaining far from mastering a reincarnation year, one cannot alter the past. Fellow Daoist Luo, Tianchengzi, does my reasoning hold?"
Dao Master Luo shook his head. "The other shore has yet to undergo nirvanic extinction, so where would a reincarnation year come from? Fellow Daoist Ying, you are boasting and talking grand nonsense again!"
Xu Ying's eyes flickered as he thought, *Could he truly be Dao Master Luo?*
He had suspected this person was not Dao Master Luo, but rather the being suppressed in Longxing Temple; yet Dao Master Luo's understanding of the Great Dao of Space-Time seemed thoroughly superficial.
*What about this Tianchengzi? Is he the being suppressed in Longxing Temple?*
Xu Ying hesitated. If Tianchengzi was indeed the being who controlled space-time in Longxing Temple, then was the Dao Master Luo before him the real Dao Master Luo?
Were they truly heading to Qionghua Island to attend a grand assembly from the primordial era of the other shore?
He glanced outside; the ouroboros in the sky was still following them. The ouroboros was a kind of samsara.
"Fellow Daoist Ying, your words make great sense."
Tianchengzi pondered for a moment, then asked Xu Ying, "However, if one comprehends the Reincarnation Great Dao and achieves Dao attainment in Reincarnation, can one return to the past to kill someone?"
"Still no," Xu Ying replied with a smile. "This also involves the grand karmic ties of space-time. If one attains the Dao in Karma, one can erase anyone whose existence is unnecessary from the timeline."
Tianchengzi furrowed his brow and muttered, "First Space-Time, then Reincarnation, then Karma before one can kill... how long would one have to comprehend all that?"
Xu Ying smiled. "If one attains the Dao in Reincarnation and Karma, becomes a Master of the Great Dao, masters space-time, and travels to the starting point of the universe's birth to watch the Hongyuan erupt, or journeys to the end of the universe's nirvanic extinction to watch the Hongyuan extinguish—wouldn't that be far more carefree and unfettered?"
Tianchengzi shook his head, a flash of ferocity in his eyes. "I only want to kill!"
Just then, Dao Master Luo said joyfully, "We have arrived at Qionghua Island!"
Xu Ying looked ahead. Amidst the pitch-black sea, Qionghua Island shone like a pearl in the dark ocean, emitting dazzling radiance, stunningly breathtaking.
Numerous carriages and vessels flew through the sky toward Qionghua Island, and colossal beasts strode through the air, flying toward the island as well.
Xu Ying glanced around and suddenly caught sight of Grand Dao Lord Shenmo and his retinue. His expression changed abruptly, but then he thought, *I have altered my appearance; Grand Dao Lord Shenmo may not recognize me.*
Grand Dao Lord Shenmo caught a glimpse of their carriage, and his expression warped in shock as well. He hurriedly blended into the crowd, his heart pounding wildly.
*Tianchengzi! The Dao Master of Longxing Temple, Tianchengzi, is on Dao Master Luo's carriage! That bastard trapped us all here with sinister designs... Wait, why is Xu Ying on that carriage as well?!*
He raised his head to look up, only to see that there was also an ouroboros in the sky above him.
Grand Dao Lord Taiyi had also arrived at Qionghua Island by now. He stared in astonishment as Xu Ying rode past in the same carriage as Dao Master Luo and Tianchengzi.
*Xu Ying hit it off with Tianchengzi so quickly?* He was dumbfounded.
Tianchengzi seemed to sense something and looked in that direction; Taiyi hurriedly looked away and kept out of sight.
Only after the carriage passed did Grand Dao Lord Taiyi let out a sigh of relief. He raised his head and looked up, only to find that in his sky as well, there was an ouroboros.
Above the head of every single person who had arrived in this past space-time hung an ouroboros!
Chapter 817