South of Mount Yiyi, verdant grasses unfurled fresh shoots. The mountain air still held a trace of post-rain moisture, but the lawn had already dried, bathed in the cozy warmth of orange sunlight.
A young man was dangling a stalk of foxtail grass between his lips, shading his eyes with a hand against the sunlight.
"Inside Yunmeng Palace, Sword Disciple fought a fierce battle against Palace Master Yunmeng, shattering mountains and rivers. That night, snow fell heavily, and the rules of the Great Dao collapsed. In terms of sheer power, Sword Disciple was naturally far inferior to Palace Master Yunmeng. After all, when a master teaches a disciple, they always hold a few tricks back."
"Master, will you hold tricks back from me?" a little girl asked, cocking her head as her small hands gently thumped the young man's shoulders.
"Am I that kind of person? Besides... what's the use of holding back? In the end, didn't Sword Disciple still unleash his inner cosmos and slay Palace Master Yunmeng with a single strike? And so... the Zhoushan Great Realm was preserved. But that strike completely drained Sword Disciple's vitality, and both he and his master kicked the bucket together."
"How tragic! Master, where are they buried? I want to go sweep their graves!" The little girl's eyes darted slyly.
"Tch. You, sweeping graves? You're just eyeing their burial goods!" the young man retorted without pulling punches.
The little girl didn't get angry, merely squinting into a smile like crescent moons.
The young man continued, "Yet who could have guessed that Sword Disciple grew stronger the more he fought, his sword reaching a realm of selflessness. In the end, he even transformed into a supreme sword and struck Palace Master Yunmeng down."
"With that, the demon was vanquished, peace returned to the world, and everyone sang songs of praise."
Hearing this, a greedy glint flashed in the little girl's eyes. "Could Sword Disciple have turned into a divine treasure sword?"
"Who knows?" The young man looked lazy.
"Master, do you think if we go looking for Sword Disciple's grave now, there's still time?" the little girl asked.
She had always wanted a sword of her own to wander the world with.
After all, cloaked in red robes with a sword in hand looked utterly cool.
Receiving no answer from her master, she thumped a little harder, only to realize he had fallen asleep.
"No way, I have to check the map and see where the Zhoushan Realm is!"
Clearly, the little girl had taken her master's story to heart.
She didn't care about the grievances and entanglements between Sword Disciple and Palace Master Yunmeng; what she cared about were burial goods and treasures.
Except... about fifteen minutes later,
an ear-splitting screech rang out.
"Master! You're a liar!"
The young man hastily covered his ears, feeling dizzy.
"What did Master lie to you about?"
"I looked up the records. Your story is completely made up! First of all, your story has no factual basis. For example, when Yunmeng Palace devoured the Zhoushan Realm, even the Nine Heavens Divine Palace avoided its edge, showing just how overwhelmingly powerful Palace Master Yunmeng was. Sword Disciple hadn't even passed the Three Calamities and Three Tribulations—how could he possibly be a match for her?"
"Second of all, you mentioned in your story that Palace Master Yunmeng died in the seventy-billionth year after the founding of the Wind Thunder Mysterious Heavenly Dao. You also said that fifty billion years after its founding, the Wind Thunder Mysterious Heavenly Dao held a celebration on Mount Wangzhou. But right now, the Wind Thunder Mysterious Heavenly Dao has been founded for less than a hundred million years, and Mount Wangzhou collapsed ages ago! Are you saying that fifty billion years from now, the Wind Thunder Mysterious Heavenly Dao is going to rebuild Mount Wangzhou? So Master, you just pulled this melodramatic nonsense out of thin air."
"Is it possible that I'm not the one who is wrong, but the world is?" Bai Xiaosheng retorted. "It's this world whose space-time is demented, this world that is riddled with plot holes."
He almost felt as if he had been born in the wrong era.
"And here you call yourself Bai Xiaosheng, the one who knows everything under heaven," the little girl chattered away, making the young man feel as though the very air was deafeningly noisy.
"Ahem, little Wu Shi, how could Master ever lie to you?"
"If you weren't lying, Master, then help me find Sword Disciple's grave. I want the sword he turned into."
"Hey, you were clearly the one who said he might have turned into a sword!"
"If Master can make things up, why can't your disciple?" The little girl tilted her head back, full of smug triumph.
"You... go cultivate. You're young, hurry up and raise your cultivation." Seemingly unable to win an argument against his disciple, the young man had no choice but to exercise his authority as a master.
"Master, why don't you cultivate?" At the mention of cultivation, the little girl grumbled in dissatisfaction.
"Your master was born an innately sentient divine treasure—sentient from birth. I don't need to cultivate," the young man said proudly.
[In this life, you were born as a divine coin, revered as the Primordial Ancestor by the living beings of the Tuwu Great Realm.]
This Bai Xiaosheng, an innately sentient divine treasure, was naturally Qi Yuan's second life through the Three Pure Ones Method.
At the same time, when this Tuwu Great Realm was still in its infancy, its creatures had eaten raw meat and drank blood; civilization was frail, let alone anything transcendent.
However, when Qi Yuan had broken through his realm back then and gained a superpower, he once used "Word of Law" to introduce the concept of "money" to the Tuwu Great Realm. From that point on, the Tuwu Great Realm embarked on the path of civilization.
In this life, he was born an innately sentient divine treasure and revered as the Primordial Ancestor by the Tuwu Great Realm.
...
"Master, cough up some money!"
In a daze, Bai Xiaosheng felt a small hand patting his back.
He couldn't help opening his mouth.
Clatter! A pile of gleaming gold coins spilled out.
Yep, the old man had dropped his gold coins.
Seeing the money, the little girl Wu Shi squinted in delight, thoroughly thrilled.
Bai Xiaosheng opened his eyes and looked at Wu Shi helplessly. "What, did someone outside spot yellow hairs sprouting on your head?"
"Tch, Master, you're so unreliable. I need to stash away some private savings," little Wu Shi said.
Holding the glittering coins in her hands, she felt a profound sense of security.
Bai Xiaosheng smiled at the sight.
His disciple Wu Shi's childhood had been rather tragic.
She was an orphan of war, abandoned all alone atop a snowbound mountain of ice and snow.
Her clothes had been paper-thin, her bare feet frozen stiff.
When Bai Xiaosheng first found her, she was so emaciated she looked like mere skin and bones.
Fortunately, she possessed an extraordinary bloodline; otherwise, she would have frozen or starved to death long ago.
Even so, Wu Shi had suffered immensely and was left with numerous chronic ailments.
That was why the girl now loved hoarding stash money and stashing food away.
All made by Bai Xiaosheng.
"In the future, don't make me drop gold coins while I'm sleeping," Bai Xiaosheng said.
Suddenly, he seemed to sense something, and his expression shifted slightly.
"Hide quickly."
A dao art descended, and Wu Shi's figure vanished from sight.
Right at that moment, ripples stirred in the rhyme of the Great Dao.
Space and time seemed to freeze.
A Dao God of no fixed shape, located in who-knew-what time and space, descended.
Bai Xiaosheng narrowed his eyes and smiled. "Dao God Yuantian of the Nine Heavens Divine Palace graces me with his presence. Pardon my lack of welcome."
"As expected of Bai Xiaosheng. Even though I concealed my origins, you can still lay bare my identity. In that case, I shall not beat around the bush. The Nine Heavens Divine Palace requires the exact locations and details of Luofeng Ravine, Tianqian Valley... Mingrixue..."
Dao God Yuantian named seven locations in succession.
"Luofeng Ravine... isn't that already within the Nine Heavens Divine Palace?" Bai Xiaosheng asked with a smile.
"Indeed." Dao God Yuantian was somewhat surprised.
Of these seven places, Luofeng Ravine was already in the hands of the Nine Heavens Divine Palace.
This was a closely guarded secret.
He had not expected Bai Xiaosheng to know even this; it seemed the man truly possessed real ability.
"Of these seven locations, six... are all nodes to the Yin Realm. The last one, Mingrixue... does not appear to be a node. Why does Fellow Daoist inquire about its whereabouts?" Bai Xiaosheng asked, a puzzled look on his face.
The Nine Heavens Divine Palace had always been searching for peculiar places.
These peculiar places were all nodes.
Hearing this, Dao God Yuantian thought even higher of Bai Xiaosheng.
The man was indeed remarkably knowledgeable.
"The other six are indeed nodes... Mingrixue is a bizarre snow mountain. Peculiar though it may be, that is unimportant. What we seek is a special creature upon Mingrixue. Bai Xiaosheng, I give you one epoch of time to help the Nine Heavens Divine Palace locate these places. As for the reward... ten thousand portions of divine treasure source substance for each location."
For Dao Gods, if they wished to increase their strength, aside from passing the Three Calamities and Three Tribulations, another way was to consume divine treasure source substance.
Divine treasure source substance was a byproduct created alongside divine treasures, extraordinarily precious and imbued with special dao principles.
"By the way, once you find Mingrixue, do not venture up on your own. Otherwise... even as a Dao God, you would risk perishing," Dao God Yuantian cautioned.
"Oh? Is the creature on Mingrixue very special... and powerful?" Bai Xiaosheng asked inquisitively.
Dao God Yuantian wore a wary expression. "They are connected to a fallen Dao Lord."
"From the Cosmic Alliance?"
"No, a Dao Lord of the Rebirth Realm."
"Wait, doesn't the Rebirth Realm only allow divine treasures to step into the Dao God realm?"
"Because that Dao Lord possessed one of the Ten Primordial Physiques."
"The Ten Primordial Physiques..." Bai Xiaosheng fell silent.
Rumor had it that obtaining even one of the Ten Primordial Physiques would allow one to break through the limits of a Dao God.
Of course, that did not mean a breakthrough was guaranteed.
"If you learn any information regarding Mingrixue, report immediately to the Nine Heavens Divine Palace. When the time comes, the Heavenly God will descend in person," Dao God Yuantian said.
Bai Xiaosheng took a deep breath. "To think it would be the legendary Heavenly God."
Dao God Yuantian came abruptly and departed just as suddenly.
In this bamboo cottage, only Bai Xiaosheng and Wu Shi remained once more.
As the concealment faded, Wu Shi reappeared. She blinked her large eyes, her little hand gripping Bai Xiaosheng's wide sleeve tightly. "Master, why do you look so troubled?"
At times, Wu Shi could still be very well-behaved and considerate.
"Sigh, your master just feels that I chose the wrong moniker. The name Bai Xiaosheng brings bad luck. In this world, anyone named Bai Xiaosheng never meets a good end," Bai Xiaosheng couldn't help sighing.
He recalled seven years ago, when he brought little Wu Shi back from that snow mountain.
That mountain... was Mingrixue.
Which also meant his disciple's identity was...
Had he met Dao God Yuantian several years earlier before ever seeing Wu Shi, he might well have traded the information on Mingrixue for ten thousand portions of divine treasure source substance upon finding it.
Yet now, little Wu Shi was his disciple.
He was a good man.
He would never do something that went against his conscience.
Even if it meant offending that terrifying Heavenly God.
Wait.
Thinking up to this point,
Bai Xiaosheng smiled again.
Even without Wu Shi, hadn't he already offended the Heavenly God anyway?
On the surface, he was the mysterious Dao God Bai Xiaosheng.
In reality, however, he was also the Primordial Ancestor of the Tuwu Great Realm, an associate of the Cosmic Alliance,
and one of the founders of the Anti-Nine Heavens Divine Palace Alliance.
Why oppose them?
Tianqian Valley was located in the Tuwu Great Realm; it was the birthplace of Bai Xiaosheng.
If he were to reveal this node to the Nine Heavens Divine Palace,
the Tuwu Great Realm would likely be reduced to a petri dish for the Nine Heavens Divine Palace, and he, as the sentient divine treasure born of Tianqian Valley, would perish as well.
"Ptui, ptui, ptui! Master, don't go saying such unlucky things," Wu Shi said, her little face tense with concern.
Bai Xiaosheng chuckled and stretched lazily. "Then why aren't you cultivating properly? When your master grows old in the future, I'll be counting on you to care for me in my old age and see me off."
"Tch, cultivation is exhausting..." Wu Shi wanted to slack off, but then added, "Fine, Master, I'll go practice right now."
Watching Wu Shi's small figure from behind, a hint of worry lingered in Bai Xiaosheng's eyes.
Time flowed on, and in the flick of a finger, ten years slipped away.
Little Wu Shi's voice chattered endlessly in Bai Xiaosheng's ears.
"Master, I caught a blackfish today!"
"That's right, your disciple wants to eat fish!"
"Master, let's pack up and run!"
"The city lord's daughter says she likes me! If I don't give in to her, she won't let you off!"
"Master... who knew that aside from digging up graves, you're actually this strong!"
"Master, is it time for me to get married?"
"Master... that sword in the tomb was indeed pretty good, but I don't like it."
"Master, when are we going to find Sword Disciple's grave? I miss his sword."
"Master, you're hurt."
"Holy crap, Master, you're a Dao God!"
As time turned, facing Wu Shi's astonished gaze,
"Children shouldn't curse," Bai Xiaosheng said, thoroughly relishing the astonishment on Wu Shi's face.
"Hey, Master, where am I a child?" Wu Shi crossed her arms over her chest, utterly smug.
The corner of Bai Xiaosheng's mouth twitched. "Not an ounce of ladylike behavior."
"Tch."
Wu Shi was still just as lively and full of vigor as she had been when she was small.
Yet as soon as the words left her mouth, she seemed to realize something.
"Master... are you injured?" Worried concern surfaced on Wu Shi's face.
"Hmm?" Bai Xiaosheng narrowed his eyes. "How could you tell?"
He possessed the cultivation of a Dao God. If he wished to conceal his injuries, it should have been utterly impossible for Wu Shi, with her current amateur cultivation, to see through it.
"Heehee, not telling," Wu Shi said. "Don't change the subject. How could you be so careless and get injured again, Master? If you're badly hurt in the future and can't drop coins anymore, how will your disciple survive?!"
Wu Shi went on, acting as though all she cared about were the gold coins Bai Xiaosheng coughed up.
"Right." Bai Xiaosheng didn't bother to press further.
Everyone had their secrets.
His disciple was suspected to be that being's "reincarnation"; it was only natural that she had a few peculiarities.
As for his injuries, they naturally came from clashing with the Dao Gods of the Nine Heavens Divine Palace.
After all, he belonged to the Anti-Nine Heavens Divine Palace Alliance.
"By the way, I need to make a trip to the Cosmic Alliance. During this time, stay put here and don't go anywhere," Bai Xiaosheng instructed, recalling something.
"Master, am I so unpresentable that you won't even introduce me to your Dao God friends?" Wu Shi pouted, seemingly displeased. "Even an ugly daughter-in-law has to meet the in-laws eventually!"
Seeing Bai Xiaosheng remain silent, Wu Shi pressed her advantage: "Could it be... an unhinged divine lord's forced love, imprisonment, bodily torment, and doting obsession?"
"Hey!"
"Heehee. Usually, masters in plots like that are aloof, cold, and obsessive. Master, you're lazy every single day, without an ounce of an aloof noble gentleman's aura. You grin foolishly and laugh from ear to ear all day, dropping gold coins whenever you're bored. One look and anyone can tell you're not the male lead."
Bai Xiaosheng was indignant.
What was wrong with laughing?
He was a sunny, cheerful young man!
He decided he would laugh every single day.
"Master, be careful on your trip to the Cosmic Alliance. Don't get injured again."
"If you get hurt, there won't be anyone to drop coins for your disciple anymore."
Chapter 613