Chapter 1656: Seven Swords Travel the Mountain Recalling the Past, Dao Hall Faces the Darkest Period

"So, you won't pull a grand deception, will you?"

Inside the God's Vestige, Dao Qiongcang still found it hard to believe as he posed the question.Even someone as intelligent as him couldn't imagine how insane Chongyin would become once he realized the full truth.He surely wouldn't go completely mad, would he?That would be quite amusing: the first god in history to be driven insane...

By now, the two scoundrels had returned to the God's Vestige. Xu Xiaoshou had already taken out the Heaven Realm Core and began refining it.With the help of the 90 Intent Disc, fully controlling the Heaven Realm Core was not difficult.He hadn't done it completely before, only allowing the core to recognize him as a preliminary master, because Chongyin had still been present.

The Ancestral God's status and inherent arrogance were the fundamental reasons why Chongyin disdained controlling the Heaven Realm Core using an "item."Why bother with unnecessary steps when a single thought could accomplish the task?This was not difficult to understand.

Xu Xiaoshou himself wouldn't use something like the "Apricot World Core" to control the Apricot World.He certainly didn't believe that even if people like Li Fugui or Zhu Yike, with their schemes and tricks, found the Apricot World Core and conspired together, they could replace him, the true master of the Apricot World.Nor did he think they could exploit the original master's passive abilities to their fullest, drain all his resources, or drive him out of the Apricot World, leaving him homeless and adrift in the starry river.It would be a joke, wouldn't it?

But now, the joke had become reality!Chongyin, the original master of the God's Vestige, was absent. Xu Xiaoshou held the Heaven Realm Core, and the influence of a single thought was gone...Consequently, without much effort, Xu Xiaoshou perfectly refined the entire God's Vestige.

He immediately maneuvered the God's Vestige into the temporal currents to drift, which would isolate it from the original master's perception and prevent him from tracking it down again.With this step complete, external dangers were considered averted, and Chongyin was temporarily out of the picture.Unless Chongyin got incredibly lucky and, in the vast expanse of the starry sky or the temporal currents, happened to encounter the fleeting God's Vestige and seized the opportunity to enter.How was that different from accidentally stumbling upon Void Island while walking the streets of the Eastern Region and successfully boarding it?

There was only one Liu Changqing, and he only had the chance to be possessed because someone had orchestrated it.Xu Xiaoshou certainly wouldn't be so foolish as to "invite the wolf into the house" and bring Chongyin back!

With the external issues resolved, his thoughts naturally turned inward.After all, Chongyin was cunning; he might skip the "searching" process and directly descend upon the Vestige.But internally...It seemed there was nothing more to consider.

Earlier, when Chongyin evaded the Three Honored Qiongcang, he had already erased all traces of his presence, fleeing into the Ancient and Modern Forget-Worry Tower as if in a hurry.Xu Xiaoshou had already searched thoroughly, finding no hidden traps.Now, after a further inspection confirmed his worries were unfounded, he finally relaxed.It was rock-solid, like an impenetrable fortress.

The God's Vestige could now be considered his second home.Of course, he had to share it with Dao Qiongcang.The Evil God might be evil, but his evilness was purely in his techniques; it was a righteous and honorable kind of evil.Unlike a certain person, who appeared magnificent, just, and dignified on the surface, but in reality, would mark every place he went like a dog urinating.That indeed wasn't evil.That was disgusting!

Clutching the Heaven Realm Core, and once again confirming that he couldn't find any "urine marks" left by Dao Qiongcang in the God's Vestige, Xu Xiaoshou glanced up at the other man and replied:"That's right, I won't pull a grand deception.""But even if I could, I wouldn't use it in front of Chongyin. Wouldn't that be showing off an axe in front of Lu Ban?"

"Showing off an axe in front of Lu Ban"—that was quite an apt description...Dao Qiongcang clicked his tongue a few times, then simply sighed lightly, saying no more.

He thought Xu Xiaoshou actually could!When that guy proposed the plan, he didn't fully explain the specifics, only asking him to provide a pair of underwear for a greater sense of participation.

Although Chongyin's combat power was low, and he was in multiple layers of weakened states, almost like he was about to be demonized...How confident would someone have to be to be so reckless as to use such an intimate item to humiliate Chongyin?Xu Xiaoshou had that fundamental quality.

He had a subordinate named Zhu Yike.Dao Qiongcang still remembered the incident where Zhu Yike's Sect of Fighting Techniques was inferior.Not that he held a grudge, that wasn't the point.The main thing was that he had been struck by a "Leaping onto Paper" technique and trapped for a long time, which left the memory fresh in Dao Qiongcang's mind.He certainly retaliated afterward by catching Zhu Yike, but that wasn't the point either.The point was that it was only natural for a successor of the "Art Ancestor," who could wield the "Golden Gate Stealing Arts," to teach Xu Xiaoshou how to "pull a grand deception," and for Xu Xiaoshou to master it and then use it to counter the Art Ancestor himself.

He never expected that whether Xu Xiaoshou could perform a "grand deception" wasn't the point of the plan at all; his mind was the key.Dao Qiongcang recalled the entire encounter and was still deeply shaken; it was nothing more than..."Chongyin is leaving, let's go 'empty-handed' and get something for nothing, shall we?""Alright, what's the plan?""Get something for nothing.""I'm asking, what's the *specific* plan for getting something for nothing?""Just get something for nothing, at most with an added pair of underwear."

And then they went.Then, with a mere illusion like "flowers in a mirror and the moon in water," that foolish white wolf was truly bewildered by the underwear and eagerly offered up his treasure with both hands.—Classic!

Dao Qiongcang deeply etched every detail of this entire maneuver into his memory, constantly replaying it in his mind, feeling he could learn from it for a long time.To learn from others' mistakes to sharpen one's own wits—a wise person's way of learning."A very different way of thinking..."

Dao Qiongcang knew that Xu Xiaoshou was roughly the same kind of person as himself, both cunning, and now he finally understood the fundamental difference between them.In his concept, it was always about "exchange"—equal exchange, or unequal exchange.

Whatever you gained from him, you would eventually regurgitate and return to him; if he willingly gave you something, you would repay him twofold.In short, you might not feel like you're losing, but that's because you think you're not losing; you're just foolish, happily counting money for someone who's just sold you out.He always won.

"Exchange" was stable, a calculation based on deep thought, a quality of thinking that a mature person should possess.Xu Xiaoshou lacked this quality.

While he was indeed meticulous in his calculations, he would also dance on a tightrope when necessary.Under normal circumstances, he was cautious, but in extreme situations, he would gamble big. A loss would be a huge loss, but a win would be a huge win, and he would win handsomely.This intense thrill was something consistently cautious people could not experience.

Which was better or worse?Dao Qiongcang pondered for a moment, concluding there was no good or bad, merely distinct personalities and different life experiences.He himself was the cautious type; decisions he made might seem risky to outsiders, but in reality, he had everything under control.Xu Xiaoshou was the risk-taking type, seeking excitement and pursuing low investment with high returns, which might be related to his growth experience.As a chess piece, he indeed had to be that way.Rivers and mountains may be changed, but it is hard to alter one's nature.

Losses for the cautious type could be recovered.No matter how fast the risk-taking type charged, they would eventually stumble badly, just like Ba Zun'an.On this point, if he ever needed to deal with Xu Xiaoshou in the future, this character flaw could certainly be exploited... Dao Qiongcang's eyes flickered.

"You've been thinking for over ten breaths. You're not plotting to trick me, are you?" a suspicious voice suddenly chimed in from the side.Dao Qiongcang's eyelids twitched. He subtly raised his head and smiled, "How could that be, my Xu?"He paused, stroking his chin, his face full of relish. "I was contemplating the implications of your move just now. I feel... Tsk, infinitely enlightened. Impressive, Master Shou."

Xu Xiaoshou scratched his head. "Strange, you actually explain yourself?"Dao Qiongcang's heart tensed.He silently gave himself a mental note:Never explain himself in front of Xu Xiaoshou again.

"The God's Vestige, curtain call!"As the curtain call arrived, Xu Xiaoshou truly felt less like a living person and more like a character in a play, having completed an entire performance, utterly exhausted from the struggle.He uncharacteristically granted himself a short break, collapsing onto the war-torn wasteland. For half a day, he cleared his mind, thinking of no schemes, no post-battle spoils, no matters of returning home.

The unfathomable Temple Master Dao lay beside him, hands clasped behind his head, carefree, gazing up at the hazy sky of the God's Vestige.It felt almost unreal in its realism...The great battles at Jade Capital City, Changde Town, Qingyuan Mountain, and others seemed like a fleeting dream. The two of them were getting along as if they had never been enemies before.

Going further back...When Xu Xiaoshou used the "Plucking Sword Style" against Zhou Tianshen during the Heavenly Sang Spirit Palace's trials, he would never have imagined that one day he would experience fighting side-by-side with the Temple Master Dao, who resided high above the clouds on Mount Guizhe.

Was it good?No, cooperating with him was just as exhausting as fighting him—two words: mentally draining."It's like I'm about to die."

Xu Xiaoshou chuckled self-deprecatingly, feeling that if Dao Qiongcang were to turn into Chongyin at that moment and lop off his head with a backhand, the drama would end, yet the impact would be profound, leaving much to ponder.Clearly, real life wasn't a play; it wasn't always so dramatic.

"Having a life-review montage?"Dao Qiongcang turned his head, smiling as he said:"When I was young, after every major battle, completely exhausted, I also liked lying down like this and gazing at the sky."

"At that time, I would think, 'Ah, how am I so virtuous and capable that I can contend with those master seniors and even scheme against them, playing them to their demise?'""Was it that they were all putting on a show for me, and I was just a supporting character in the world, eventually serving as a foil for others? Or was I truly very intelligent, and people truly were born with different levels, at least in terms of intellect?"

Xu Xiaoshou bared his teeth, realizing Dao Qiongcang wasn't boasting, so he gave him an accompanying eye-roll.You're really annoying.

Dao Qiongcang turned onto his side, legs curled up, resting his head on his arm. With his other hand, he unconsciously dug at the dirt, a knowing uncle's smile on his face as he began reminiscing about his glorious past:"At that time, the most interesting thing was, I decided I wanted to be the Temple Master.""Actually, there wasn't much to look forward to; I felt being Temple Master was just so-so. But everyone else thought it was a very high position, with a hint of 'world's number one' about it.""I felt I could handle it, so I wanted to prove to myself that I was actually quite capable..."

"Suddenly!"Dao Qiongcang spoke dramatically, showing a talent for storytelling, and with a tone of revelation, he said, "As I thought that, the opportunity truly arrived.""What was it?" Xu Xiaoshou was genuinely curious about how this guy rose to power. The stories from the Holy Mountain seemed quite exciting. Fratricide had already happened, so he surely didn't resort to patricide, right?

"You Tu appeared with a sword, stormed Mount Guizhe, and with seven swords, decapitated the previous Temple Master. It was utterly unreasonable!""Ancient Sword Cultivators are truly madmen!""Before him, no one dared to do such a thing. Mount Guizhe didn't even have a so-called 'Mountain Protection Array,' or rather, the previous spirit arrays were just decorative.""After all, the Council of Ten was there, the headquarters of the Holy Divine Palace was there, the Nine Sacrifices Cassia was rooted there, and God Willow was also there.""That person, their brain must have been kicked by a donkey, then swallowed, then excreted, then stuffed back into their head to do something so insane, right?""But You Tu was just such a person." Dao Qiongcang sighed repeatedly after saying this, as if he still couldn't fully accept it.

"All by himself?" Xu Xiaoshou listened, his blood boiling."All by himself!""After killing the person, you still let him escape? Are you that useless?"

"He got away," Dao Qiongcang said, then paused, correcting with a frown, "But it was 'they,' not 'you.' I was just a passerby, an insignificant nobody on the mountain at the time... you know!"

Xu Xiaoshou grew interested, rolled over, also resting his head on his arm, and met Dao Qiongcang's gaze. "Did you personally see You Tu kill your previous Temple Master? Did you see his face? Was it an assassination with a black cloth over his face, or did he kill him openly?"

"Not with my own eyes, but you could say so, right?"Dao Qiongcang was unsure. "Anyway, although I wasn't physically present, I could see the scene through the Heavenly Secret Puppets. The closest one to the incident was even damaged by a sword qi strike."

Xu Xiaoshou clicked his tongue, his interest intensifying. "What about Hua Changdeng? The version of the story I heard was that You Tu, to avenge Ba Zun'an, later injured Hua Changdeng and sealed him somewhere in a 'Screen Candle' for decades."

Only after asking did he add, "Can I even ask that? If we're talking about Hua Changdeng here, he won't find out, will he?"Still feigning innocence, acting like he knew nothing, like a blank slate... Dao Qiongcang rolled his eyes:"He can't hear.""The God's Vestige is different from the Holy Divine Continent, after all. There's no Heavenly Stairway connecting the upper and lower realms where you can just call out names."Then he continued:"Actually, as I said, You Tu arrived too suddenly; no one on the Holy Mountain was prepared."After he killed the Temple Master, the first to discover him was God Willow, and God Willow was the only one he attacked."Hua Changdeng... he might have sensed the sword intent from afar, but by the time he arrived, the bird had flown and the tea was cold."

"Then why did Hua Changdeng seclude himself in the 'Screen Candle'?" Xu Xiaoshou wrinkled his nose, wondering if Dao Qiongcang was lying.

"It's the Screen Candle Land!"Dao Qiongcang couldn't bear it.*Is this kid really planning to storm the Holy Mountain?**I'm spilling secrets here, and you can't even get the most basic place names straight. Don't tell me you don't even know what the Holy Pantheon is?*

"Hua Changdeng wasn't injured physically, but mentally.""He was hurt because he didn't get to have a gentleman's battle with Ba Zun'an—one preceded by bathing, changing clothes, burning incense, and performing rites, as is customary among ancient sword cultivators.""Even more, because Ba Zun'an wasn't at his best or in his strongest fighting spirit when they fought, Hua Changdeng crippled him, felt smug about his victory, but later realized he was just a clown who took advantage of someone's vulnerability, so he was even more wounded."

Dao Qiongcang's fingers traced various shapes on the ground. "Ancient sword cultivators have very complicated rituals. Even a fight like yours and Beibei's was considered hasty. Ninety-nine percent of them are also incredibly stubborn; once they decide something is a certain way, they must complete it according to that unchangeable understanding... Do you understand what I mean?"

"I understand.""Complicated, stubborn donkeys."Xu Xiaoshou knew all this; after all, he was also an ancient sword cultivator. But hearing this..."Hua Changdeng still seems like a man, so how could he take advantage of someone?"

"You know Dao Xuanji, right?" Dao Qiongcang changed the subject.*Of course, I do.**Your sister, obviously.**Why bring her up? Is it about her?*Xu Xiaoshou felt like he'd just heard some major gossip; his eyes lit up, and he felt a surge of energy making him sit up. "Your sister really causes nothing but trouble, doesn't she? What did she do this time?"

"She..."Before Dao Qiongcang could speak, he suddenly realized that gossiping about others, especially his own family, was a very bad habit.Moreover, one of the protagonists of the story he was about to tell might even be present.He immediately pulled his head back, pointing at Xu Xiaoshou's stomach. "Isn't Ba Zun'an here? Why don't you ask the person directly?"