Dao Master Tongtian had attained the Dao through slaughter, and his strength was exceedingly profound. Now that the other shore's calamitous destiny burned like wildfire, his cultivation was bound to surge with the rising tide.
Dongxuan had also attained the Dao and become a Dao Master, and the Great Dao of Taiyi he cultivated was one of the Nine Innate Daos. Even so, despite possessing the experience of a past life, he was not necessarily a match for Dao Master Tongtian.
Presently, Dao Master Tongtian could draw upon the other shore's sweeping tide of slaughter, an advantage Dongxuan could not rival.
Dao Master Tongtian was a vital link in the looming war between Tianjing and the other shore; therefore, eliminating Xu Ying required avoiding Tongtian.
Dao Master Dongxuan rose and took his leave at once. Gong Jiexuan pondered for a moment and murmured, "Should I inform Father of this? He possesses boundless supernatural powers. Perhaps he has the means to bring Ling Xuzi and Ping Yaozi back..."
She hesitated. Tianjing's Dao Venerable had yet to recover to his peak state and was still awaiting the full revival of Tianjing's Great Daos.
"It is still better to send someone to report this to him."
Her mind made up, Gong Jiexuan summoned Wu Xizi and said, "Wu Xizi, make haste to Tianjing. Inform the Dao Venerable that Xu Ying mobilized divine powers spanning time-space and reincarnation to execute Ling Xuzi and Ping Yaozi more than four hundred years in the past."
Wu Xizi was an Immortal who cultivated the Reincarnation Great Dao and possessed astonishing speed. He voiced his assent and departed immediately.
Half a year later, he arrived in Tianjing, found the Dao Venerable, and recounted Gong Jiexuan's message in full.
Hearing this, the Dao Venerable fell silent for a long time before speaking. "Xu Ying has already mastered the Nine Innate Daos? Yet to slip into the past and kill someone across the years requires mobilizing Reincarnation, Karma, and Calamitous Destiny, not to mention Slaughter and Nirvanic Extinction all at once. One must also know whether that person has survived a Nirvanic Extinction Tribulation. If they have, their karmic weight is too heavy, and they cannot be slain."
His gaze turned profound as he looked toward Tianjing's ancient, distant past. Twenty billion years of history surged like rolling waves before his eyes.
Though a crashing wave was but a fleeting instant, within it rose and fell countless heroes and titans.
"Far too few can survive a Nirvanic Extinction Tribulation. Most cultivators—even Dao Masters—cannot escape calamitous destiny," the Dao Venerable's voice rumbled like thunder. "Hence, reversing time to kill becomes possible. Yet what puzzles me is how he manages to mobilize so many Great Daos simultaneously."
He was deeply perplexed. There were two paths to cultivating the Nine Innate Daos: one was to forge the Daos externally, refining the Nine Innate Daos and using innate numinous treasures as conduits to bridge Nirvanic Extinction and Chaos, thereby forming an external Hongyuan within which the nine Daos circulated without cease.
The other was to cultivate the Daos internally, likewise using innate numinous treasures as links to bridge Nirvanic Extinction and Chaos, establishing the nine Daos as a self-contained circulatory system.
Neither path was inherently superior to the other.
Across the entire history of a universe, perhaps not even one or two individuals could comprehend all Nine Innate Daos.
"Yet such cultivation methods cannot possibly mobilize multiple Innate Daos at once. Channeling one or two at the same time is already the limit. Only when the Hongyuan cycles to the intersection of two Great Daos can both be drawn upon simultaneously—for instance, when it turns to the confluence of Calamitous Destiny and Slaughter, one may wield Calamitous Destiny and Slaughter together."
The Dao Venerable pondered for a long time, then rose slowly and unhurriedly. "The technique Xu Ying employed eludes my prediction. However, his slaying of Ling Xuzi and Ping Yaozi was merely testing the waters. His true target was never Ling Xuzi or Ping Yaozi, but genuine Dao Masters. Striking them was just an experiment to see whether he could succeed. Otherwise, with his strength, he could have dispatched them directly—why bother returning to the past?"
Daoist Wu Xi shuddered upon hearing this and said hastily, "Dao Venerable, this youth is cruel and ruthless. If he strikes at us in the future, wouldn't we die without even knowing how?"
The Dao Venerable smiled. "Though I know not how he accomplished it, neutralizing it is simple enough. Infiltrating the past to kill inevitably invites the backlash of the target's Great Dao. Backlash from an ordinary Immortal can no longer threaten him, but backlash from a Dao Master is extremely likely to grievously wound him, if not claim his life outright."
Daoist Wu Xi frowned. Xu Ying was still in the Immortal realm, with immense room left to elevate his cultivation and strength. If he grew even stronger, backlash from a Dao Master might fail to harm him as well.
The Dao Venerable said, "If the Dao backlash carries power beyond what he can bear, it can slay him. At the very least, it will serve as a deterrent."
Daoist Wu Xi quickly asked, "How can the might of the Dao backlash be elevated?"
"Simple. One need only apply a technique where all rise and fall together, leaving him helpless," the Dao Venerable said. "Bind the lives of your people to the karmic cause and effect of the Great Dao I cultivate. If he leaves you untouched, so be it; but if he dares make a move against you, he will trigger a resonance with my Dao, naturally giving rise to a ripple of retribution that will snuff him out."
Daoist Wu Xi was overjoyed and hurriedly asked for guidance.
The Dao Venerable smiled. "I shall refine a few jade talismans for you to bring back. Once you all refine them, you will be bound to the karmic cause and effect of my Dao. However, you must also warn Xu Ying, telling him not to let his murderous intent run wild, lest he throw his life away for nothing."
Daoist Wu Xi was utterly baffled. "Why would the Dao Venerable still wish to spare him?"
The Dao Venerable laughed. "I clashed with Dao Master Tongtian once in the Chaos Sea, and I was in the wrong on that occasion. If I act against Xu Ying again, it may turn Dao Master Tongtian into a mortal enemy. Thus, you must warn Xu Ying. If he seeks his own death, I will have a justification and avoid falling out with Tongtian."
Daoist Wu Xi assented.
The Dao Venerable crafted several jade talismans, handed them over, and said, "Once refined, unless Xu Ying is capable of killing me, he will have no hope of traveling back to the past to execute you. Naturally, this talisman does not intervene in the present. If you perish in this era, even I cannot save you. Bear this well in mind."
Daoist Wu Xi received the jade talismans and promptly departed Tianjing, heading back toward the other shore.
Only after leaving Tianjing did a thought strike him: 'I forgot to tell the Dao Venerable that the young mistress dispatched Dao Master Dongxuan to assassinate Xu Ying. Should I turn back and report this?'
He hesitated, thinking, 'The young mistress is the Dao Venerable's daughter. If I meddle and the Dao Venerable orders Dongxuan to withdraw, she will resent me. As father and daughter, they may disagree without incident, but she would harbor no end of rancor toward me. Forget it. I will pretend I know nothing of it.'
Half a year later, he returned to Shangdu, handed the jade talismans to Gong Jiexuan and the others, and explained their purpose. Elated, they each set about refining their talisman.
Wu Xi sought out Dao Master Dongxuan, but found no trace of him.
Gong Jiexuan said, "Dongxuan went to kill Xu Ying and has yet to return."
Wu Xi asked, "Is Xu Ying dead?"
Gong Jiexuan shook her head. "Not yet. Dongxuan likely has not made his move. To kill Xu Ying, he must bypass the eyes and ears of Dao Master Tongtian, and the right opportunity has not presented itself. But no one knows where he is right now."
Wu Xi had no choice but to drop the thought of seeking him out.
***
Tianjue City.
Xu Ying was in the midst of contemplating the self-sufficiency of one's nature within the Martial Dao when a sudden premonition gripped his heart. He leapt to his feet and turned toward the direction of the Chaos Sea.
At that very moment, he actually felt a faint resonance with the Great Daos of Heaven and Earth of the Three Realms!
Suspicion and astonishment surged through him. To sense the Three Realms' Heavenly Daos from the heartland of the other shore meant the Three Realms had drawn remarkably close, to the point where the Daos of both universes were subtly beginning to influence each other!
Qingxuan and the Holy Venerable flew over, landing beside him. "Dao Ancestor..."
Xu Ying shook his head. "We cultivate the Three Realms' Heavenly Dao, so we can sense it. The people of the other shore have never cultivated it and cannot perceive anything."
Qingxuan and the Holy Venerable felt slightly relieved.
At the same moment, far away in the Three Realms, Yuan Weiyang felt a stir in her heart. She raised her head toward the outer heavens, having likewise detected disturbances originating from the other shore.
Where Xu Ying resonated with the Great Daos of Heaven and Earth of the Three Realms, her perception was sharper still. As she gazed outward, folds of void unfolded before her vision as though the Chaos Sea did not exist.
She could not see the other shore through the void, but she could witness the other shore's subtle influence upon the void.
'The distance between the Three Realms and the other shore is closer than ever before!' she thought.
Far across the expanse on the other shore, the very same thought crossed Xu Ying's mind. The distance separating the two universes across the Chaos Sea was practically negligible!
'Though it may take another thousand years of orbital drift before the two universes collide and run aground on each other, within two to three centuries, the other shore will likely be able to perceive the Three Realms as well,' Xu Ying thought grimly. 'And within five centuries, as the two universes orbit past one another, parts of them will begin encroaching upon each other's time-space. It is far too dangerous—I cannot wait any longer!'
His eyes flashed. Suddenly, his vast divine consciousness surged forth into the cosmic void of the other shore, coalescing into a deafening shout:
"Taiyi!"
"I challenge Grand Dao Lord Taiyi to rid the other shore of a scourge!"
His voice rumbled like thunder, rippling across ever wider expanses. After a dozen days, it resonated throughout the entire mainland of the other shore; after dozens more, every subordinate realm under the other shore could hear Xu Ying's declaration challenging Grand Dao Lord Taiyi.
Before Biyou Palace, Dao Master Tongtian stood tall, gazing in the direction of the Three Realms. Though he had been away from his homeland for countless years, he had sensed the Great Daos of Heaven and Earth of the Three Realms, stirring an ache of homesickness in his heart.
At the same time, it burdened him with deep foreboding.
Yet when Xu Ying's voice echoed through the heavens, he started slightly.
"Xu Ying, what are you trying to accomplish by challenging Taiyi at a time like this?"
He murmured in thought, "Are you helping the other shore purge the tumor that is Taiyi, or are you helping Taiyi successfully attain the Dao?"
He paused, whispering, "If Taiyi were to take power, the other shore might truly stand a chance of surviving this calamitous destiny. For the Three Realms, will that ultimately be a blessing or a curse?"
In Daoji Heaven atop Mount Jiuqiu, Dao Master Luo also heard Xu Ying's voice. Stunned, he muttered, "To think this Xu Ying is still a loyal subject of the other shore. Back then, when I had him swear to place righteousness before family when facing Taiyi, I never expected that beyond swearing, he would actually move to eradicate Taiyi today."
He paused, then added, "A pillar of the realm!"
Elsewhere in Daoji Heaven, Dao Master Hua and Dao Master Lin heard Xu Ying's proclamation as well, both seized with surprise.
"The Taiyi Dao Sect breeds traitor after traitor. Has their infighting finally begun?" Dao Master Lin remarked in wonder.
Dao Master Hua pondered for a moment, doubtful. "Two traitors tearing into each other? That does not sound right. There must be a conspiracy behind this."
His expression promptly hardened with unyielding resolve. "Why bother with the schemes of vermin? Once the two of them clash, we need only cast down an innate numinous treasure and blast them both to dust."
In Shangdu, Gong Jiexuan and the others also heard Xu Ying's voice. Gong Jiexuan chuckled. "Xu Ying is finally turning against the other shore. The man is not entirely useless after all."
Daoist Wu Xi said hastily, "Dongxuan is still looking for an opportunity to assassinate him!"
Gong Jiexuan frowned, nursing a headache. "Do you know where Dongxuan is?"
"We have yet to uncover his whereabouts."
Gong Jiexuan exhaled a heavy breath. "Wu Xizi, take Cen Xizi and the others to Tianjue City to discover the battleground chosen by Xu Ying and Taiyi. If Dongxuan is there, he will surely reveal himself to meet you."
Wu Xi acknowledged the command, gathered Cen Xizi and the rest, and rushed toward Tianjue City.
Meanwhile, within Tianjue City, once Xu Ying proclaimed his challenge to the world, Qingxuan, the Holy Venerable, Jiu Zeng, and the others hurried over. Jiu Zeng shouted, "Has the rebel Xu finally lost his patience and decided to slay his master?"
Qingxuan asked, "Do you intend to use this battle to help Taiyi attain the Dao and become a Dao Master? Do you wish for Taiyi to lead those resurrected Dao Masters in a decisive war against Dao Master Hua and the others?"
The Holy Venerable asked, "With your current strength, are you truly a match for Taiyi? Although Taiyi only cultivates a single Great Dao of Taiyi, his cultivation is unfathomably deep—he is scarcely inferior to ordinary Dao Masters of lesser Daos!"
Xu Ying smiled. "Whether I am his match can only be known once we fight. However, I will not hold back in the slightest against him. If Taiyi falls short, he will surely die by my hand. Only under the direct pressure of life and death can I spur him to break through and prove his Dao Master realm."
Just as the three were about to speak, Grand Dao Lord Taiyi's voice drifted in: "Xu Ying, barely four hundred years have passed, yet you have already comprehended the self-sufficiency of one's nature within Taiyi? Do you truly possess sufficient confidence now?"
With his back still turned to the voice, Xu Ying smiled. "I do."
Grand Dao Lord Taiyi stepped inside from without. Jiu Zeng hastily stepped forward to bow, while Grand Dao Lord Taiyi offered a gentle smile. "Simply grasping the self-sufficiency of one's nature within Taiyi is not enough."
Still with his back turned, Xu Ying replied leisurely, "What I comprehended was that one's nature is self-sufficient—not merely the self-sufficiency of one's nature within Taiyi."
Taiyi's eyes lit up, and he laughed. "Excellent! In that case, let us settle this in the Chaos Sea. I have already prepared your vessel."
He left behind an emerald rock multi-decked vessel and said, "The destination has already been marked upon this ship. Board it when you are ready; I shall await you in the Chaos Sea."
He turned and walked away.
Outside Tianjue City, Wu Xi, Cen Xi, and the others descended from their clouds and strode toward the city.
Suddenly, their expressions shifted and they froze in their tracks. Before them stood a hulking, broad-shouldered man draped in a heavy cloak, barring their path.
"Bright King Lingyan!"
Wu Xi sneered, "Lingyan, you cultivate the Demon Dao, attaining the Dao through a singular path. Even if you became a Dao Master, a sparrow can never become a phoenix!"
Daoist Cen Xi's gaze flickered. "If you are here, Lingyan, Taiyi must be nearby! You call yourself a Dao Master, yet you stoop to doing the bidding of a Grand Dao Lord!"
Demonic qi surged violently around Bright King Lingyan. His gaze settled on Wu Xi, and he let out a harsh chuckle. "Wu Xizi of Reincarnation. Cen Xizi of Wuji. Yu Xizi of Chaos. Jiang Ningzi of Karma. Jing Ningzi of Slaughter. Hai Ningzi of Calamitous Destiny. Splendid, truly splendid. You cultivate the Nine Innate Daos, so naturally you fancy yourselves superior to one who merely cultivates the Demon Dao. Yet how pitiful—you have not attained the Dao, and thus remain mere insects."
His face turned grim and merciless. "Step one foot forward, and none of you will leave here alive!"
Just as Wu Xi and the others prepared to strike, a woman clad in garments whiter than snow drifted into view, sending a chill through their hearts.
'Beside Bright King Lingyan stands Sacred King Xuannü! This will be troublesome!'
As the two sides faced off, poised on the brink of battle, Grand Dao Lord Taiyi walked up from behind and said coolly, "Lingyan, Xuannü, let us go."
Bright King Lingyan and Sacred King Xuannü fell in behind him, departing side by side and leaving Wu Xi and his companions standing in their wake.
Daoist Cen Xi seethed with anger. "If Dongxuan were here, with a Dao Master holding the line, we never would have let them walk away!"
"Where on earth is that bastard Dongxuan hiding?"
Chapter 838