"Taiyi is exceptionally clever. He knows that if we clash within the other shore, Dao Master Hua will definitely notice. But if we fight in the Chaos Sea, Dao Master Hua won't be able to find where we are."
Xu Ying praised inwardly and smiled. "He fears Dao Master Hua's great axe as well."
Truth be told, Xu Ying himself was also afraid of being abruptly hacked to death by an axe in the middle of a fight.
The Holy Venerable, Qingxuan, Jiu Seng, and the others had also packed up, ready to set sail at any time to head into the Chaos Sea and watch the battle.
Xu Ying shook his head and said, "Taiyi set the battleground in the Chaos Sea precisely to avoid everyone else! If you go to watch, I fear you will only draw more people! Plenty of eyes are fixed on this place right now." Those watching Tianjue City naturally included the four Dao Masters.
Xu Ying was confident he could shake off these four Dao Masters, but bringing along the Holy Venerable and the others would make that nearly impossible! The Holy Venerable and Qingxuan felt an itch they couldn't scratch, while Jiu Seng worried for Taiyi's safety, yet they all knew Xu Ying spoke the truth. If they went to watch, someone with ulterior motives was bound to follow! Still, being unable to watch the battle was truly a regret in this mortal world!
Xu Ying smiled and said, "Don't worry, I'll record this battle for you to see!"
The Holy Venerable said, "Even if you lose, you must record it for us to see!" Qingxuan instantly looked immensely eager!
Xu Ying's expression flickered between dark and light before he laughed heartily. "Me, lose? How could I lose? I've trained bitterly for more than four hundred years and comprehended that my nature is inherently self-sufficient!! Heh, do you even understand what inherent self-sufficiency is?!" With that, he began explaining the difference between his inherent self-sufficiency and Taiyi's!
Qingxuan whispered, "He's genuinely worried he'll lose."
The Holy Venerable nodded. "His confidence isn't that solid!"
After Xu Ying explained to them what inherent self-sufficiency was, he roughly felt his confidence restored and set off immediately. He summoned the emerald rock multi-decked vessel and departed. "Jiu Seng, Qingxuan, I leave this place to you!" His voice drifted from afar!
At the very moment the emerald rock multi-decked vessel departed Tianjue City, the gazes of Dao Master Hua, Dao Master Lin, Dao Master Luo, and others fell upon it one after another! At the same time, numerous figures set out in pursuit of the multi-decked vessel, while at the Chaos Sea ferry port, people were already waiting, having the garrison commander prepare multi-decked vessels at the edge of the Chaos Sea, ready to enter the sea alongside Xu Ying's ship at a moment's notice!
Grand Dao Lord Taiyi was elusive and mysterious, accompanied year-round by ten Dao Masters; tracking his whereabouts was difficult in the extreme! But Xu Ying did not have so many experts by his side, so tracking Xu Ying was easiest of all.
Several months later, Xu Ying finally arrived at a leisurely pace. Dozens of emerald rock multi-decked vessels were already waiting at the edge of the Chaos Sea. Aboard some were disciples of Dao Master Luo and Dao Master Lin; aboard the rest were mostly Dao Lords and True Kings from various factions, and even Grand Dao Lord Yinyang and Grand Dao Lord Shenmo had come in person.
Aboard yet another ship was Zhangsun Shenghai, exuding peerless elegance, yet a veiled worry showed on his face as he looked toward Xu Ying. *Martial Uncle Xu comprehended the Nine Innate Daos and grasped Hongyuan; what innate spirit root did he use to unite the nine Daos?* He gazed at Xu Ying. Over these years, he had frequently sailed into the sea aboard multi-decked vessels, searching far and wide for universes trapped in calamitous destiny, slaughter, and nirvana. His nine Great Daos had already reached perfection, but the closer they approached perfection, the harder they were to circulate. He lacked an innate spirit root to unite the nine Daos. His arrival to watch the battle was also in hopes of seeing what method Xu Ying used to unite the Nine Innate Daos.
*Without realizing it, I have fallen behind Martial Uncle Xu,* his gaze rested on Xu Ying as he thought, *but once I obtain an innate spirit root, I can definitely catch up to him quickly.* His confidence was absolute.
Daoists such as Wu Xi, Cen Xi, and Jiang Ning stood aboard an emerald rock multi-decked vessel as well—one they had commandeered. All along the way, they had been searching for the whereabouts of Dao Master Dongxuan, yet Dao Master Dongxuan had never come to see them, causing secret anxiety in their hearts. *Dongxuanzi must be tracking Xu Ying, staying hidden to search for an opportunity to strike. Entering the Chaos Sea will be his best chance to kill Xu Ying while evading Dao Master Tongtian.*
Yu Xizi said, "Dongxuan cultivates Taiyi and has now become a Dao Master of Taiyi. I fear no one in the chaos will be able to stop him from killing. We must find him before he takes action."
The Great Dao of Taiyi was the ancestor of the ten thousand Daos among the Nine Innate Daos, wielding truly formidable power, and Dongxuanzi was attaining the Dao Master realm for the second time. Having received Gong Jiexuan's command to kill Xu Ying this time, he was bound to succeed; though Gong Jiexuan had not directly ordered them to find Dongxuanzi, her words implied that they should locate him and revoke the kill order on Xu Ying.
Just then, ten Dao Masters—including Dao Master Qixian, Sacred King Xuannü, and Bright King Lingyan—appeared and arrived at the seashore. Sacred King Xuannü showed a look of surprise when she saw Xu Ying and murmured in a low voice, "So our benefactor was the city lord of Tianjue City."
With the descent of these ten Dao Masters, the surroundings instantly fell dead silent, and no one dared make a sound.
Xu Ying's multi-decked vessel sailed toward the Chaos Sea. Wu Xi urged his vessel forward and bowed. "Fellow Daoist Xu, Daoist Wu Xi of Tianjing sends his greetings."
Standing at the prow, Xu Ying returned the greeting. "Xu Ying of the Three Realms greets the fellow Daoists of Tianjing."
Cen Xi, Jiang Ning, Jing Ning, and the others returned greetings one after another, saying, "Greetings, Fellow Daoist Xu."
Wu Xi said, "Fellow Daoist Xu is proficient in Karma, Samsara, Calamitous Destiny, Slaughter, and Nirvana, and is thus able to return to the past and kill with unfathomable mystery, making it impossible to defend against. Therefore, my humble self traveled to Tianjing to meet the Dao Venerable. The Dao Venerable refined jade talismans and gave them to us. These treasures connect us with the Dao Venerable's Great Dao; if Fellow Daoist Xu uses this method to harm us, you will surely suffer obliteration from the Dao Venerable's Dao. Hence, I came to give you a word of caution."
Xu Ying smiled. "If you do not provoke me, why would I make a move against you? Fellow Daoists, who asked you to come and inform me of this?"
Wu Xi did not conceal it, saying, "The Dao Venerable said the stakes here must be made known to you, and that concealing it would harm you."
Xu Ying was immensely surprised and bowed once more. "The Dao Venerable's magnanimity is extraordinary. I am in admiration."
Wu Xi, Cen Xi, and the others laughed. "We are far inferior to the Dao Venerable. If we had such means, we would surely resort to underhanded tricks, enticing you to use the technique of killing into the past and using the fluctuations of the Dao Venerable's Great Dao to blast you to death."
Xu Ying laughed heartily and shook his head. "I killed Ling Xuzi only because he tried to kill me three times; only then did I strike ruthlessly. I bear no enmity toward you; why would I act to kill you? Besides, why would I need to return to the past to kill you all?"
The faces of the crowd changed abruptly, and they wished they could immediately teach him a lesson so he would stop spouting wild boasts. Xu Ying expressed his thanks once more as the multi-decked vessel sailed into the Chaos Sea. As his vessel moved, the vessels of the others moved in kind, setting sail into the sea one after another. Paying them no heed, Xu Ying steered his multi-decked vessel along the trajectory set by Grand Dao Lord Taiyi, while one vessel after another followed closely behind without letting up.
Xu Ying glanced back and thought, *Taiyi told me to come to the Chaos Sea for our duel; having them follow to watch certainly wasn't Taiyi's intention. Then what means does Taiyi plan to use to shake them off? Could it be that he wants me to step in?* Given his understanding of Taiyi, Taiyi was bound to have made plans long in advance and would not need Xu Ying to act.
After sailing for several days, a bright light suddenly caught his eye ahead. As the vessel drew near to look, it turned out to be an abyss within the Chaos Sea. This abyss was immeasurably long and unfathomably deep. Looking down, Qi of Chaos plunged like a waterfall from both shores, without the sound of anything hitting bottom; looking to both sides, cliff faces stood sheer and steep, with no end in sight.
If the width of a universe were considered one li, who knew how many li wide this abyss was! Xu Ying was filled with shock and doubt. The Chaos Sea ought to be a uniform chaos; there shouldn't be fractures. What sort of power could fracture the Chaos Sea itself and form such a great abyss?
*There are many unfathomable places in the Chaos Sea waiting to be explored,* he thought. The multi-decked vessel beneath his feet continued sailing forward after reaching this great abyss, intending to cross straight through it. Xu Ying's heart pounded. He knew not whether this abyss was naturally formed or man-made, but crossing it was by no means an easy feat. *Taiyi shouldn't harm me.*
Hardening his resolve, he urged the multi-decked vessel to accelerate toward the opposite side of the abyss, and the vessels behind followed suit. Right then, strange sounds abruptly arose from within the abyss, and boundless space welled outward, like bubbles engulfing one vessel after another. Xu Ying's vessel was also enclosed within one of the bubbles. Only after entering these bubbles did they realize these were space-time bubbles—a peculiar cosmic structure in which all stars, astral pools, and worlds were located on the bubble's inner wall.
A single space-time bubble was an alternative universe. These space-time bubbles grew larger and larger, the stars on their space-time surfaces multiplying and expanding, and the pace of evolution for the life dwelling on the surfaces grew ever faster. In some worlds upon these space-time bubbles, intelligent life even emerged. Life was a serendipity, and intelligent life was an accident within serendipities, yet for a universe, life was an inevitability, and intelligent life was an inevitability as well.
Some of the intelligent life upon these space-time bubbles even grasped cultivation without a teacher, and had at times attempted to fly beyond the bubble in search of what lay outside the universe. Their tenacity was admirable. Aboard the multi-decked vessels, the onlookers witnessed hundreds of millions of years of history across these space-time bubbles in a mere instant.
Everyone withdrew their gazes and steered their vessels outward from the interiors of these space-time bubbles, only to find the bubbles growing larger and larger, making it impossible to approach the edges. Just then, the space-time bubbles burst one after another, and the multi-decked vessels were finally freed from them. The intelligent life on those bubbles also perished and dissipated as a result, as though they had never existed.
For the Chaos Sea, this was repaying karma—returning to where it came from. Steering their vessels, everyone looked around, only to see that the space between each other had been stretched infinitely far by the space-time bubbles. There was no finding Xu Ying's trace; let alone Xu Ying, they couldn't even locate one another. "This Great Chaos Abyss is truly terrifying. If we stay here any longer, who knows what bizarre things might happen." People beat a retreat one after another, piloting their vessels back toward the other shore; even if they didn't turn back, they had no way of tracking Xu Ying.
Xu Ying was alone on his emerald rock multi-decked vessel, praising inwardly, *The duel location Taiyi arranged is truly ingenious. This way, our battle won't be disturbed by anyone.* He continued driving the vessel along the designated course. After more than ten days of sailing, he finally reached the opposite side of the Great Chaos Abyss and sailed back into the Chaos Sea once more.
Just as he sailed out of the Great Chaos Abyss, a figure traveled through space-time across the abyss, boundless space-time flowing beneath his feet like water at an unimaginable speed. In the next instant, that figure also charged into the Chaos Sea. The figure did not ride a ship, traversing the Chaos Sea with his bare body—an astonishing feat.
Sensing that his destination was drawing near, Xu Ying felt peace settle over his heart. When dueling others, his fighting spirit surged sky-high, yet his heart remained utterly tranquil. Ahead, a halo of light pierced through the Chaos Void, catching his eye.
Surprise stirred in Xu Ying's heart. *Taiyi actually found so many interesting places in the Chaos Sea. As expected of a Grand Dao Lord who loves wandering everywhere.*
Just as the thought crossed his mind, a figure landed heavily on the emerald rock multi-decked vessel with a thud, forcing the vessel to a dead halt.
"Fellow Daoist Xu, this is as far as you go." Dao Master Dongxuan had wide robes and voluminous sleeves. From within his sleeves, the folds of his clothes, and under his trouser cuffs, Qi of Chaos seeped out in wisps and strands like smoke. Having crossed the Chaos Sea in the flesh, he had sustained no severe Dao injuries; whatever slight wounds he had were promptly healed by the Great Dao of Taiyi.
Xu Ying showed no surprise at his arrival at all, smiling faintly. "Grandmaster, you've kept watch in the void observing me for over a year. You've finally deigned to show yourself."
For over a year, Dao Master Dongxuan had been hiding within the void of Tianjue City, watching Xu Ying. Xu Ying's Void Dao was superior to his by a margin, so he had naturally seen straight through the void; nothing Dao Master Dongxuan did could escape Xu Ying. However, Dao Master Dongxuan had never made any unusual moves, so Xu Ying had simply ignored him.
Today, Dao Master Dongxuan had finally been unable to resist tracking him down and appearing before him.
Dao Master Dongxuan said in surprise, "Grandmaster?"
Seeing that he could no longer propel the emerald rock multi-decked vessel, Xu Ying simply gave up on it and said with a solemn expression, "Everyone in the Three Realms who cultivates the Great Dao of Taiyi learned it from Grand Dao Lord Taiyi of the other shore, and Grand Dao Lord Taiyi learned it from Dao Master Dongxuan of Tianjing. Therefore, you are my Grandmaster. Our Three Realms has always respected teachers and honored the Dao; we never claim a lineage carelessly."
Dao Master Dongxuan nodded gently and said, "I didn't expect to have such an outstanding grand-disciple. Alas, how heaven's will mocks us. You killed Ling Xuzi and Ping Yaozi, and I have been ordered to kill you."
"Heaven's will mocks us?"
Xu Ying laughed loudly upon hearing this. "Whose universe's Heaven's Will Dao dares mock me? Grandmaster might not know, but this isn't heaven's will mocking us; this is the destiny of our Taiyi Dao Sect lineage. Taiyi means the Dao is One. The Great Dao is singular and without equal—how could it allow another Taiyi to exist?"
Dao Master Dongxuan said with reluctant amusement, "There is some warped truth to your explanation. If there is a next life, don't study Taiyi."
He flicked his sleeve. With a resounding boom, boundless Dao power bore down, violently blasting Xu Ying into the Chaos Sea.
Dao Master Dongxuan sighed and muttered under his breath, "Is this truly the destiny of the Taiyi Dao Sect tearing itself apart?"
Just then, Xu Ying's voice floated leisurely from within the Chaos Sea: "Grandmaster, if you had cultivated Karma, you would know that destiny is also governed by karma. If I permit you life, you shall live; if I permit you death, you shall die. If I promise you glory and wealth, you shall exude nobility throughout; if I promise you meteoric rise, you shall soar straight into the azure clouds."
Dao Master Dongxuan's pupils snapped into pinpricks as he stared at the source of that voice. Although his sleeve flick hadn't employed any remarkable divine power, he was, after all, a Lord of Great Dao. Even if that flick didn't crush Xu Ying to death, it should have been enough to throw all the Great Daos in Xu Ying's body into disarray, setting them against one another. Even if it failed to accomplish that, Xu Ying should have been crushed to death by the Chaos Sea; he certainly shouldn't sound as leisurely as he did now.
He looked into the chaos and saw a glimmer of light within it. A figure, radiating brilliant light, was walking toward him.
Chapter 839