Chapter 1653: Ten Ancestors Transmitted Source at the Stele, a Shout Drives Lun Sheng Back

"Dragon?"All of them recognized the ancient character for "dragon."It lay silently in the starry sky, undisturbed by anything, its light and shadow flickering, appearing and disappearing intermittently.

"Be careful," Dao Qiongcang said, frowning despite his extraordinary experience. He didn't ask any questions, believing that if he didn't recognize something, it was even less likely that Xu Xiaoshou or Eight Trigrams would.With a shared glance, the group silently agreed not to leave the God's Remains.Dao Qiongcang remotely directed a Heavenly Secret puppet to approach.It had to be said, cannon fodder was very useful in such situations.

The puppet, moving at extreme speed, could cover the 30,000 li of starry sky in just over ten breaths."It's slowing down!"Xu Xiaoshou watched intently, able to precisely calculate that the closer the Heavenly Secret puppet got to the ancient "dragon" character, the slower it moved.Once it stepped within a hundred li radius of the "dragon" character, the puppet couldn't even issue a warning or react, nor did it make any sound.It shattered, turning into nothingness.It died instantly!

Dao Qiongcang's pupils dilated.He knew best the caliber of the puppet he had created. Even without activating its defensive measures, its basic constitution was equivalent to a first-grade shield warrior, barely reaching demigod-level defense."No warning...""No reaction...""Instantaneous death without any delay..."These were the crucial points. Nothing could explain the Heavenly Secret puppet's death unless the power gap was incredibly vast.

"Try again?" Xu Xiaoshou glanced at the ostentatious old Daoist, showing no pity for the vanished Heavenly Secret puppet.Dao Qiongcang didn't refuse. With a wave of his hand, he summoned another hundred puppets, then paused...He only deployed nine, sending them from different directions towards the "dragon" character."Stingy!" Xu Xiaoshou interjected, his voice muffled. "You're much stingier than I imagined!"Without looking back, Dao Qiongcang replied, "I'm not just stingy; I'm also narrow-minded and petty.""You are petty; you hold a grudge over a single sentence for so long," Xu Xiaoshou retorted, having anticipated this.Dao Qiongcang was too lazy to bicker, instead focusing alertly on the puppets' movements.

*Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!*Without exception, all the Heavenly Secret puppets, arrayed in a spherical formation, perished upon approaching within a hundred li of the "dragon" character."Just as expected!"Xu Xiaoshou flipped his hand, revealing a spherical space in his palm, intricately inscribed with countless complex Dao principles, resembling Heavenly Secret Dao patterns.At the same time, Dao Qiongcang also revealed a sphere in his palm, filled with countless flashing sharp sword lights, like a咫界 (Zhiji) force field.The two spoke in unison:"It should look like this..."After a surprised glance at each other, they spoke again:"Great minds think alike."After a pause, their voices overlapped, with an added peculiarity.Dao Qiongcang: "As expected of you."Xu Xiaoshou: "As expected of me."

Inside the ancient book world, Eight Trigrams was dumbfounded by their three exchanges.He truly hadn't expected that Xu and Dao could develop such a rapport after just a small experience in the Dyeing Tea Ruins.If it weren't for his consciousness being sent and residing within Xu Xiaoshou's "Sword Contemplation Canon," Eight Trigrams would have believed that a Heavenly Secret puppet was cooperating with the ostentatious old Daoist to put on a show for him.Without reason, a sense of crisis arose in his heart...Eight Trigrams extinguished the feeling of crisis."Nonsensical," he muttered.

"If Evil God hasn't died, this must be His backup plan," Dao Qiongcang stated, eyeing the "dragon" character, getting straight to the point.*Backup plan...* Xu Xiaoshou fell into thought.Seeing his silence, the ostentatious old Daoist continued to prod his thoughts, "Whether it's His soul or His will, His backup plan is definitely harbored within this character. Do you want to go take a look?"Despite their words, they observed cautiously.Xu Xiaoshou used his Heavenly Core to peek.Dao Qiongcang used Heavenly Secret puppets to investigate.Both their true bodies remained huddled within the God's Remains, not venturing out.Evil God was the one who failed, and they seemed to be the victors, yet surprisingly, neither of them felt victorious.

"Why me?" Xu Xiaoshou mused, pinching his chin. In truth, he didn't want to go at all. The only thing worth considering was:If they continued to stall with the ostentatious old Daoist, no one would want to thoroughly investigate the "dragon" character.What if Evil God was only a short time away from successful resurrection, and this delay was all He needed? They would then regret it immensely.What I can think of, Dao Qiongcang can also think of!What I'm urgent about now, he should be even more urgent about!

"Shall we go together?" Dao Qiongcang considered, opting to skip a lengthy negotiation, knowing that time waited for no one."Okay."Xu Xiaoshou didn't dare to delay. He grabbed the ostentatious old Daoist's hand and looked towards the starry sky. "Whoever runs first is a coward.""Okay!"On the ancient book, Eight Trigrams stumbled, his expression becoming very complex.

This was Xu Xiaoshou's first time stepping into the starry sky.Mental exploration and physical intervention felt entirely different.Carrying the Shattered Edge Shield, guided by the Spirit Rhino Art, he discerned the path. After passing through the spatial-temporal fragments, the environment instantly changed.The raging spatial-temporal storms were gone.The dark, sunless world was gone.Stepping out from the black hole rift, the raging giant shrunk into human form, treading upon the zero-gravity void.

*Exhale...**Inhale...*Xu Xiaoshou felt a little unaccustomed, his body flipping halfway.He then used his spiritual energy to protect himself, simulating a normal gravity environment on his body's surface, allowing him to move freely.Silence!Absolute silence!Not only did his breathing and heartbeat sound unnaturally distinct, but without even needing to introspect, just by focusing his attention, Xu Xiaoshou could also hear the surging of blood and qi within his body."A magical feeling..."

Looking out, the starry sky was vast and boundless.Amidst an ancient and desolate aura, countless Heavenly Secret puppets encircled it from a distance, forming a large array that was not yet activated.At the center of the array, the thick character lay silently dormant."Dragon!"The "dragon" character was robust, looking as if it had been carved from a monument.Light and shadow flickered on the character, appearing and disappearing intermittently, like a heartbeat, filled with a rhythm of life.

"What exactly is this?" Xu Xiaoshou could no longer contain his curiosity.Evil God was an邪神 (Evil God), and the Evil God was the corrupted form of the Ancestor of Arts. These two had no relation to the character "dragon.""Ancestor Dragon?"If it were related to the Ancestor Dragon, that would be very strange.In his memory, during the divine war he witnessed upon first entering the Dyeing Tea Ruins, only the powers of the Sacred Ancestor, Heavenly Ancestor, Demonic Ancestor, and Ancestor of Arts were present.Including the God Slasher, that made five great Ancestral Gods!The Ancestor Dragon was not among them.The only connection Xu Xiaoshou knew regarding Him was a single Dragon Apricot, currently lying dormant in the Apricot Realm.So, for this "dragon" character to appear here and potentially be used by Evil God seemed very abrupt.

"Evil God... and Ancestor Dragon, are they related?" Dao Qiongcang also murmured, avoiding a direct answer to the question. It seemed the words "I don't know" were difficult for him to utter.Xu Xiaoshou glanced at him, then withdrew his gaze, no longer holding out hope.

"Do you know?"He focused his attention on Eight Trigrams in the ancient book world.This Eight Trigrams wielded the power of Eight Trigrams from the initial creation of the "Sword Contemplation Canon" period, yet his consciousness was that of the Eight-fingered Cripple, possessing vast life experience.Perhaps, he could be relied upon.

Dao Qiongcang saw Xu Xiaoshou's sudden silence and immediately knew he had turned to ask someone else.He wasn't surprised; instead, he looked expectantly at Xu Xiaoshou's dantian. "It should be in this location, if it can manifest into human form..."Eight Trigrams observed from a distance.By this time, his outline was extremely faint, clearly indicating, as he had said, that he didn't have much time left.

"Get closer."He didn't directly deny it.As soon as he spoke, Xu Xiaoshou and Dao Qiongcang's eyes lit up simultaneously.*Swish! Swish!*Two figures appeared fearlessly three hundred li from the "dragon" character.Every hundred li in front of them, there was either a Heavenly Secret puppet or an ancient fossil.

"I don't recognize this thing..." Eight Trigrams observed for a moment, then frowned and gently shook his head.If it were anyone else, they would likely be greatly disappointed by now.However, Xu and Dao were not only not disappointed but became even more expectant. They were both waiting for a "but.""But I might have heard of it.""How so?" Xu Xiaoshou pressed.

"You know Elder You, You Tu? He once told me he saw a stone tablet, thick and dome-shaped, with a single character carved on it.""...Sword?" Dao Qiongcang interjected.Eight Trigrams remained silent, and Xu Xiaoshou, as if having found the answer, pointed to the distant "dragon" character and also said:"Sword?"Eight Trigrams nodded."Sword, the ancient character for 'sword'!""Elder You said that when he first saw it, he didn't feel anything unusual, but upon closer inspection, he was astonished. The 'sword' character on that tablet seemed to contain the true essence of the sword path. The nine great sword arts, eighteen sword flows, and three thousand sword paths could all be traced back to it. To call it the origin of the sword path wouldn't be an exaggeration."

Those words were too absolute.Xu and Dao exchanged glances, both startled and somewhat disbelieving. "Isn't the origin of the sword path the Sword God, Gu Louying?""I asked the same question," Eight Trigrams affirmed. "Elder You's answer was ambiguous, not evasive, but rather as if he himself wasn't entirely clear about the truth of the matter."

"Where did he see that tablet?" Dao Qiongcang suddenly asked.Eight Trigrams didn't answer, seemingly considering whether to respond to the question. In the end, he didn't raise his voice, only speaking privately to Xu Xiaoshou:"He didn't say.""My guess is the Sword Tower.""But whether Elder You has been to the Sword Tower, I'm also not certain."

Sword Tower...Liu Fuyu?Xu Xiaoshou suddenly recalled the woman who had persistently tracked him the moment he entered Jade Capital City, determined to take him to the Sword Tower.Then...His thoughts broke off.Eight Trigrams hadn't said much.The "sword" character and the "dragon" character ultimately didn't provide an answer. Even if it was linked to Liu Fuyu...Liu Fuyu was also mysterious!Xu Xiaoshou knew nothing about her beyond the fact that she was Liu Fuyu of the Sword Tower, and now Liu Fuyu of the First Tower in the Sky.Linking it to her was essentially pointless!

Dao Qiongcang was not someone who needed others to provide answers.He merely needed to hear and understand, sometimes not even needing the full explanation. After a brief moment of thought, he clarified his reasoning and spoke:"Stop playing guessing games. What can't be said in front of me?""The Sword Tower, right?"Both Xu Xiaoshou and Eight Trigrams were speechless.What a terrifying mind!

Dao Qiongcang continued, speaking to himself:"The tablet you mentioned, with a single character containing ancient sword arts heritage, comparable to the Sword God Gu Louying's legacy... such a thing wouldn't exist on the Saint God Continent; if it did, the Five Great Sacred Imperial Families would have already claimed it.""Furthermore, the sword tablet's heritage and the Sword God's heritage aren't necessarily two separate things. What if they're the same?""What if the Sword God gained enlightenment from observing the tablet, one becoming one, another becoming two, combining to form three, giving birth to the ancient sword path?""Or perhaps, conversely, the Sword God cast the tablet to leave his legacy after ascending to divinity and becoming an ancestor?""The Sword God's legacy isn't in the Five Domains; rumor has it, it's in the Sword Tower..."

As Dao Qiongcang spoke, he looked at Xu Xiaoshou. "Didn't Liu Fuyu seek you out? If you have time, go with her to the Sword Tower. See the 'sword' character on that tablet with your own eyes. With your strategic mind, you should be able to understand the 'dragon' character then."Xu Xiaoshou: "..."Eight Trigrams: "..."This guy's thought process was terrifyingly fast.

Silence hung in the starry sky for a moment. Seeing this, Dao Qiongcang chuckled."After all that talk, you two still don't understand what that 'dragon' is. I, however, have a bit of a grasp on it.""What is it?"If it were anyone else, Xu Xiaoshou would have simply asked, or perhaps stabbed them with a sword if they remained silent.But facing the ostentatious old Daoist, he had to use subtlety, to lead him on:"'Sword' contains ancient sword path heritage, so 'Dragon' must contain the true legacy of the Ancestor Dragon. This tablet isn't Evil God's; it must be waiting for me!"As Xu Xiaoshou spoke, a layer of dragon scales covered his body.The power of the Ancestor Dragon, obtained from the ninety-nine Dragon Apricot fruits, seemed to be evolving to a level comparable to the Heavenly Ancestor's legacy.He tried to act as if he genuinely believed this, in front of Dao Qiongcang.If it were anyone else, this tactic would have drawn out the answer. But Dao Qiongcang merely pursed his lips, not taking the bait. "Go ahead, take it. It's yours."Xu Xiaoshou sighed, abandoning his subtle approach."What is it?"

Only then did Dao Qiongcang's expression become subtle, a faint, irritatingly familiar smile appearing at the corner of his lips.Just as Xu Xiaoshou and Eight Trigrams both thought this guy was about to say, "Heaven's secrets must not be revealed," he suddenly parted his lips and said:"Original Source True Stele!"*Crack! Crack!*The moment the four characters "Original Source True Stele" were uttered, the fossils two hundred li in front of Xu Xiaoshou shattered, as did Dao Qiongcang's Heavenly Secret puppet.An instant ripple spread, an invisible "field" pushing outwards from the "dragon" character.The fossils and Heavenly Secret puppets a hundred li further out quickly followed, pulverizing into nothingness.

Without a second thought, Xu Xiaoshou turned and ran:"Woof!"At the same time, a bark came from the other side:"Woof!"A quick scan revealed that Dao Qiongcang, embodying the "coward" role, was no slower than Xu Xiaoshou, and even reacted a fraction of a second faster.Eight Trigrams' reaction was naturally also extremely fast.But he couldn't control his body. Just as he sensed danger and took a step in the ancient book world towards the "dragon" character, he said:"Repeat after me."Before he could finish the three words, Xu Xiaoshou had already dragged him from the starry sky back into the God's Remains.Eight Trigrams: "..."At this moment, he suddenly understood that people truly differed.A leopard cannot change its spots; Xu Xiaoshou sometimes appeared reckless, but he never truly followed the same path as him.He and Dao Qiongcang were of the same ilk!That was a polite way of putting it.To be more blunt, Eight Trigrams was also willing to say it that way.

*Bang! Bang! Bang!*Facts proved that cunning people had their own way of surviving.After the invisible field emanating from the "dragon" character expanded in response, those who were close and didn't escape—or rather, the Heavenly Secret puppets intentionally left by Dao Qiongcang to test the distance—quickly exploded into dust.A hundred li, a thousand li, ten thousand li...The field's encompassed range grew increasingly vast.Eventually, Dao Qiongcang's heart bled. He dared not confront it directly, instead remotely manipulating his Heavenly Secret puppets to bombard it with long-range attacks.Beams, cannons, spiritual techniques, heavenly mechanisms...All sorts of energy were pulverized the moment they touched the Dragon Field. The distance was determined, but the intensity remained unknown.

Dao Qiongcang turned his head and looked at the "coward" beside him. "It's probably an intensity that the Shattered Edge Shield can withstand."Translated, it meant: *Do you want to go? If you succeed, you can obtain the Original Source True Stele.*Xu Xiaoshou scoffed, looking at this human-like dog. "I can lend you the Shattered Edge Shield."*You go!**Take my shield and withstand the attack. If you successfully obtain the 'dragon,' the credit is yours and the Shattered Edge Shield's, so we'll share it equally.*Dao Qiongcang shook his head. "I can't wield the Shattered Edge Shield."Xu Xiaoshou sneered, "The Shattered Edge Shield weighs as much as an Overlord."Dao Qiongcang: "Not so. A shield is a heavy weapon, while an Overlord is just a staff."Xu Xiaoshou: "Since you are not a shield, how do you know a shield is heavier than a staff? Why not try it?"Dao Qiongcang: "Since you are not me, how do you know whether I want to try or not? Why don't *you* try it?"Xu Xiaoshou: "Sorry, I very much mind."Dao Qiongcang: "Then I mind it a little."Xu Xiaoshou: "Then I mind it a lot...""Silence!" Eight Trigrams, reaching his limit, snapped. These two were cowards, and yet they were bickering while staring at Evil God's backup plan.*If only you two had cooperated, the God's Remains would have been cleared long ago. Why would I even need to be here?*

Xu Xiaoshou and Dao Qiongcang grimaced at each other, then simultaneously held their breath and stared intently at the "dragon" character.At the climax of battle, everyone could work together, jointly defeating Evil God—one handling the first half, the other the second.But at the end of the battle, they reverted to scheming against each other, fearing that the other might gain an advantage, or that one might become the 'fisherman' who reaps the rewards, capturing both Evil God and the opponent in one swoop.

*Roar—*The starry sky was silent, yet a resounding dragon roar echoed into the God's Remains, arising within their very minds.Looking from afar, above the "dragon" character, an immensely colossal phantom of a five-clawed golden dragon coiled in response.The dragon's sheer size, wildness, and presence were even more exaggerated than the Demon Emperor Black Dragon Xu Xiaoshou had seen.The moment it appeared, it gave off the impression of..."Ancestor Dragon!"Exchanging glances, Xu Xiaoshou and Dao Qiongcang spoke in unison. While their eyes held a shared covetousness, they also held increased apprehension.Had Evil God resurrected by borrowing the Ancestor Dragon's power?And the Ancestor Dragon's power, seemingly derived from the Original Source True Stele, was clearly incomparable to that from ninety-nine Dragon Apricot fruits.Perhaps, it was on par with the Sacred Ancestor's stone inscription, or even stronger!Could Evil God summon the Ancestor Dragon at its peak, or even control it?

In the starry sky, purple mist proliferated.Beneath the five-clawed golden dragon, a faint, lingering mist quickly emanated. At that moment, a bizarre purple eye split open in the center of the dragon's head.The Eye of Evil God!The moment this eye appeared, Xu Xiaoshou and Dao Qiongcang's hearts sank.In the ancient book world, Eight Trigrams sighed softly at the sight and waved to Xu Xiaoshou:"Repeat after me.""Seal!"

The Eye of Evil God on the five-clawed golden dragon opened.A hazy, illusory, almost wind-shattered Divine Seat of Evil God appeared, supporting...No Evil God!Only fragmented remnants of soul and will, seemingly gathered with great effort from the previous desperate situation.But the mist surged wildly.Evil God's utterly deranged voice echoed throughout the starry sky and in the minds of everyone in the God's Remains.Xu Xiaoshou could even imagine the scene: this entity, hidden somewhere unknown, beginning to form hand seals with two fingers.Without a doubt...His only option now was a spell he had accidentally glimpsed through the Illusory Sword Art before."Seal - Reversal Seal Cycle Birth!"

Xu Xiaoshou drew his Four Swords, shot a fierce glance at Dao Qiongcang, and, unable to outmaneuver the cunning old Daoist's unpleasant ways, chose to lead the charge."Eight Trigrams, assist me!"First time clunky, second time smooth. This time, crossing from the God's Remains to the starry sky took only the time of a single sword-based spatial leap.Xu Xiaoshou stood on his Sword Dao plate, sword intent surging around him, even carrying the Shattered Edge Shield on his back, exuding an unstoppable momentum.

"Dao!"Within the ancient book world, Eight Trigrams stepped forward, uttering a heavenly voice:"Dao comes from a dream, Azure Dwelling, please come forth in my heart."This...Xu Xiaoshou was instantly drawn into the artistic conception, the realm of the Illusory Sword Art. He realized Eight Trigrams was about to unleash a powerful spell before departing, even summoning Azure Dwelling."Dao!"He gripped his Four Swords, took a step forward, opened his mouth, just about to imitate...From afar, above the "dragon" character, the Divine Seat of Evil God trembled, casting down only a single maddened voice before vanishing without a trace."Seal - Sacrificial Spirit Forbidden Escape!"