Chapter 1682: Long Kneeling and Not Rising, Addressing the Hall Master; Leaving Me with No Mercy

Who did Grandmaster Sou just mention?Who is Dao Qiongcang? Why does that name sound familiar?

Those in front of the Preaching Mirror paused for a moment, then quickly jumped up in alarm:“Dao Qiong…”“He’s talking about Grandmaster Dao, right?!”

This exclamation swept through the Five Regions like a wave, jolting everyone awake. Indeed, compared to the unfamiliar and somewhat offensive three characters “Dao Qiongcang,” “Grandmaster Dao” was the proper way for people in the Five Regions to respectfully address that individual. Even though he had abdicated long ago, serving as the former Grandmaster. Even though the Five Regions were now under the rule of Emperor Cang Sheng and Grandmaster Ai, with everyone extolling and uncovering the stories of Ai Cang Sheng. Yet, the name “Grandmaster Dao” had left an indelible mark on the Spirit Refining World over thirty years, not easily erased.

After waking from their daze, everyone’s first reaction was disbelief:“What is Grandmaster Sou talking about? He has a past with Grandmaster Dao? And what is the Divine Ruins?”“It must be the God Slaying Official’s ruins, but Grandmaster Dao never entered those ruins, did he? Or perhaps he entered later?”“No, that’s not right. The person shown in the Preaching Mirror doesn't look like Grandmaster Dao at all. His stomach is ripped open, and there’s so much blood. How could that be... wait, it actually looks like Grandmaster Dao?”

In the public's impression, Grandmaster Dao had a very glamorous and distinguished image. Even though his abdication was sudden, there was little negative information about him; on the contrary, some even believed he had been betrayed by his sister, a fact they lamented. Therefore, at first, few could connect the gutted figure on the Preaching Mirror with the approachable stick-figure avatar on the Spirit Crystal Card, which represented someone worth billions.

But as the image on the Preaching Mirror zoomed in, everyone could clearly see that although the blood-soaked figure looked disheveled, the facial features revealed after his head turned were quite distinct. By this alone, it was naturally still impossible to identify him, as Grandmaster Dao was quite distant from most people, and few recognized his face up close. The key, however, was that Feng Tiantian suddenly held a portrait in front of the mirror! The person in the painting, with a dignified smile and a majestic aura, was from a portrait that circulated when Dao Qiongcang took office thirty years ago. It was actually a wanted poster now, but Feng Tiantian had secretly cropped out the bounty, not daring to display it. Feng Tiantian was also puzzled but proved her guess correct through her actions, muttering softly: “He looks older and more weathered, but it really is Grandmaster Dao.”

Nothing is more convincing than a comparative experiment. His facial features were as if carved from the same mold. If it wasn't him, could it be Grandmaster Sou disguised as Grandmaster Dao? While the understanding was there, it didn't mean the questions would decrease. On the contrary, the Five Regions' confusion grew, as did their horror.

“Grandmaster Dao, why is he kneeling on the mountain?”“Who dares to cut open Grandmaster Dao’s chest and make him kneel indefinitely?”“Beep! Beep! Beep!”Dao Qiongcang’s brain seemed to crash, watching helplessly as Xu Xiaoshou quickly dispatched Wei Feng. In the Divine Ruins, this kid hadn't even shown this bizarre domain-type control technique.“He evolved again?”No, he was with me all this time; we only separated less than half a day ago... So, he was hiding this spirit technique throughout the entire Divine Ruins?

Dao Qiongcang quickly dismissed this possibility. Because if he was hiding it, why would he reveal it now to deal with Wei Feng? Everything pointed to an “impossible” possibility, pushing the conclusion towards Xu Xiaoshou having mutated again within half a day. Dao Qiongcang’s mind was practically burning; he couldn't comprehend how someone could be so monstrous, capable of comprehending the Spirit Penetrating Thought just by sitting down. But he couldn't possibly comprehend something new, similar to the Spirit Penetrating Thought and never before seen in the Five Regions, every time he sat down!

“Beep! Beep! Beep!”It wasn't until the repetitive "beep beep" anomaly in his mind drowned out his chaotic thoughts, forcing him to stop thinking. Only then did Dao Qiongcang realize he had been impulsive; he shouldn't have antagonized Xu Xiaoshou—neither considering the bigger picture nor their rather decent personal relationship. But it was too humiliating! For over thirty years, Grandmaster Dao had lived a life of luxury; when had he ever suffered such hardship? He had never felt the pain of being cut open. The last time he came close to such humiliation was in the Divine Ruins, when Xu Xiaoshou's finger strike extinguished his soul, scaring him so much that...Why was it Xu Xiaoshou again? Both times it was Xu Xiaoshou. Even if it was a coincidence, it proved how terrifying this coincidence was, and Dao Qiongcang quickly raised his guard.

He probably knew Xu Xiaoshou’s intentions and anger. He already regretted that his humiliation from being “pecked” by the Great God Incantation had ruined Wei Feng’s entire being. He struggled to straighten his head, intending to use a Great Protection Art to heal his chest wound, get up, and no longer kneel before Xu Xiaoshou...“Beep! Beep! Beep!”The even more abrupt alarm in his mind made Dao Qiongcang halt his actions. He acutely noticed that this “anomaly” broadcast no longer originated solely from Xu Xiaoshou, but also from elsewhere… He turned his head, tracing the source of the anomaly. When he distantly glimpsed the object, Dao Qiongcang’s whole body trembled violently, as if he had been struck hard on the head by the Overlord wielding the Three Venerables of Malevolent Yin—he nearly split apart!

“What?”“The Preaching Mirror?”“When did it get here?”What broke Dao Qiongcang even more than being gutted and kneeling without dignity before Xu Xiaoshou was the realization that… His kneeling was, in all likelihood, now witnessed by everyone in the Five Regions!“No──”The word “No” had almost never appeared in Dao Qiongcang’s dictionary, much less been uttered alone from his mouth. At this moment, Dao Qiongcang, feeling infinitely close to death, screamed this word in his collapsing mind.Who is broadcasting? Who dares to broadcast this? Feng family, are you seeking death? Of all people to broadcast, you broadcast me?! You don't broadcast my glorious moments from the past thirty years, but a small moment of me kneeling, and you broadcast it to the entire Five Regions?

With a hiss, the image from the Preaching Mirror showed Grandmaster Dao turning his gaze, his pupils suddenly widening, then losing all light. He sagged like a deflated puppet, his head drooping helplessly. Suddenly, behind him, atop the Xuyue Gray Palace, colorful rays of light emerged, and holy clouds billowed.“Hehe…”A light, ethereal chuckle, filled with a transcendent aura, drifted from the distant heavens, and then a tall figure stepped out of the colorful light. He wore a noble star-patterned robe, a golden hairpin in his meticulously combed black hair, and held the Celestial Mechanism Compass in his palm, striding with a majestic gait, radiating brilliance.“Amazing.” Xu Xiaoshou was impressed.So the Preaching Mirror could not only control Sword Immortals, but Grandmaster Dao couldn't escape its influence either. In this light, it was truly remarkable that Ai Cang Sheng could still be himself under the camera's gaze; he was truly worthy of his title as Emperor!

“The past is set in stone.”“The future cannot be controlled.”“Living in the present is the attitude we spirit refiners should have…” Dao Qiongcang strolled forward, a knowing smile playing on his lips, “Xu Xiaoshou, wouldn’t you agree?”This felt right! Seeing this new Grandmaster Dao’s appearance, the spirit refiners of the Five Regions finally let out a collective sigh of relief. This was the unfathomable Dao Qiongcang they knew. That pathetic figure, gutted and still kneeling in front, how could he possibly be Grandmaster Dao? At most, it was a Celestial Mechanism puppet! Perhaps it was even used to conceal the truth and deceive Grandmaster Sou.

“Truly powerful. I have to admit, even I was deceived. Grandmaster Dao is indeed a god of strategy…”“My heavens! The look in that Celestial Mechanism puppet’s eyes just now, for a moment I thought he was real. But would Grandmaster Dao really get injured?”“The moment I thought of that, I immediately became certain it was a fake Grandmaster… And sure enough, just as I calculated, the real Grandmaster soon emerged from behind.”“Phew! You scared me! I thought Xu Xiaoshou had already beaten Grandmaster Dao, one of the Ten Venerables, into kneeling and begging for mercy before he even destroyed the half-saint Wei Feng… Thankfully, this world is still within acceptable limits; it’s not that crazy!”“But Grandmaster Dao’s words indirectly admitted that he and Xu Xiaoshou had a good past, right? Is that right? I didn’t misunderstand, did I?”“These two men… hmm, it’s hard to comment.”

Few felt qualified to speculate about Grandmaster Dao. Even Feng Tiantian was bewildered at this moment, thinking, *Who am I to be commentating on Grandmaster Dao?* Those colorful lights, those holy clouds… Forget Grandmaster Dao’s grand entrance! Just the various half-saint phenomena before his appearance made Feng Tiantian feel immense pressure after seeing them! When she was commentating on Wei Feng, she didn't feel this way at all, entirely focused on her Xu Xiaoshou. It was as if Xu Xiaoshou instantly defeating Wei Feng was surprising, but understandable to everyone afterwards. But once the subject changed to Grandmaster Dao, all the pressure—of a “Grandmaster,” a “Half-Saint,” one of the “Ten Venerables”—came crashing down!“I'm merely a lowly illegitimate child of the Feng family, not even part of the 'Zhong' generation. I carried a mirror and rushed into the forest, and now I'm qualified to critique the former 'Number One Under Heaven'?”“Am I some high-ranking bird? Where do I get such audacity and courage, just with this Preaching Mirror in my hand?”Feng Tiantian questioned herself, then wept at her own insignificance. Forget this mirror! Even if the entire Feng family, including the old patriarch, were combined, and the Sword Tower was added, compared to Grandmaster Dao's glorious contributions over thirty years, they wouldn't even amount to a speck of dust, or perhaps, something far less significant!

“I, I…”One moment Feng Tiantian was fine, the next her voice began to tremble. She now greatly admired Feng Zhongzui. He was on Osmanthus Saint Mountain, completely oblivious to any worries, single-mindedly commentating for Grandmaster Sou, regardless of who was opposite him. How much courage would that take? That's what you call utterly fearless!

“Folks, I’m feeling a bit panicked now…”Panicking is the right response. Her panic was so relatable that it made her feel like family with the spectators watching, and their feelings resonated with hers. Putting themselves in her shoes, if they were to commentate on Grandmaster Dao up close, not having trembling legs would be a miracle, and being able to speak at all would be a blessing.“Go, Feng Tiantian! What are you afraid of? They won’t eat you. You are the Feng King of Hell!”“That’s right! The Feng family holds the Preaching Mirror, so the Feng family is justice! If you raise your arm, we’ll even support you, Feng Tiantian, as the head of the Feng family. Who cares if it’s the Holy Divine Palace or the Saint Slaves? Just do it!”“Besides, these two are neither from the Holy Divine Palace nor pure Saint Slaves; they’ve both started their own factions. What are you cowering for, Feng Tiantian? Commentate!”“Hahaha, that’s right, hurry and commentate, Feng Tiantian! Quickly evaluate Grandmaster Dao. What shortcomings do you think this Half-Saint still has that he could improve upon…”

The teasing voices from the Five Regions gradually faded. Because at this moment, as Grandmaster Dao walked and spoke, pacing from afar, it seemed as if he was about to step out of the picture. Everyone's pressure grew somewhat.

“I am quite surprised.”“You can actually injure my Celestial Mechanism puppet.”Dao Qiongcang withdrew his gaze from the bloodied figure kneeling on the ground and said with a smile. He held the Celestial Mechanism Compass before his chest, its star-shaped spoon slowly rotating, with faint clicks and whirs of internal mechanisms audible. It didn't seem like he was calculating anything, nor did he intend to perform the Thirty-Six Celestial Mechanism Arts. His celestial calculations were incomprehensible to others. But incomprehensible was precisely the point. Its mysterious nature made it seem even more powerful.

“I am also surprised.”“That unknown spirit technique just now could control Wei Feng for so long that he couldn't unleash a single grand divine ability, and his body, spirit, and will were all cut down by you.”Dao Qiongcang toyed with his Celestial Mechanism Compass, stopping in front of his own flesh-and-blood figure, making no other movement. But after pondering with downcast eyes, he brightened with a smile and said:“A domain-type technique, covering a one-mile radius?”

The Five Regions gasped. That's why he's Grandmaster Dao, isn't it? While everyone else was still mocking the Void Duck Swimming Technique, Grandmaster Dao had already seen through it as Grandmaster Sou's spirit technique and even found its weakness?“It seems he hit the mark…” Feng Tiantian was uneasy, as if her Xu Xiaoshou was truly about to confront Grandmaster Dao. Would he lose? He would definitely lose, wouldn't he? He is the unfathomable Dao Qiongcang! Seeing the slight twitch at Xu Xiaoshou’s lips as he was spoken to, Feng Tiantian clenched her fists, praying: “Although Grandmaster Dao is unfathomable, Grandmaster Sou is equally intelligent, almost demonic.”“If he didn't have absolute certainty, he probably wouldn't have confronted Grandmaster Dao, right?”

Xu Xiaoshou's mouth was indeed twitching wildly, unable to suppress it. But it wasn't because Dao Qiongcang had seen through the form and range of his Calamity Nation Blade Holding, which even Gou Wuyue had figured out. Moreover, Xu Xiaoshou didn't consider it a weakness. Before, he had only experimented with Calamity Nation Blade Holding individually. In actual combat, there were no rules stating he could only use one Calamity Nation Blade Holding card, or that he had to wait for the enemy to test it ten times until they found a weakness before he could continue his moves. His mouth twitched because, having learned Dao Qiongcang’s true nature in the Divine Ruins, seeing him now maintain this dignified facade was truly unbearable. He was truly ostentatious! It was full of the awkwardness of watching an acquaintance pretend to be a stranger! No wonder the Ten Venerables back then treated that flashy old Daoist with such reverence; this must have been part of the reason, right? Too familiar, completely unable to bear it… And he’s calling me by my full name. If you’re so bold, standing in front of the Preaching Mirror, call me ‘my Xu’ or ‘Grandmaster Sou’ if you want to get close… go on, call me!

Xu Xiaoshou sneered, and as soon as the ostentatious old Daoist paused, he seized the opportunity to utter a single sentence:“Dao Qiongcang, I have your naked photos…”This was more than just a bolt from the clear sky. With a clatter, the star-spoon on the Celestial Mechanism Compass directly fell off. Dao Qiongcang stumbled, but simultaneously flicked his right hand, unleashing a mysterious celestial light at speeds beyond sound and light. Suddenly, a holy light descended from the heavens. Coincidentally, it landed precisely between the Preaching Mirror and the Mount Hui Tian, cutting off the scene of the star-spoon falling, and also obscuring the indelicate words “naked photos” and all subsequent content. However, the Five Regions certainly didn't lack sharp-eared and keen-eyed individuals.

“Did his hand tremble?”“Grandmaster Dao’s hand trembled just now, didn't it?”“Naked what, what naked… What is Grandmaster Sou saying? Does he have something on Grandmaster Dao? He’s completely ignoring Grandmaster Dao’s lead!”“Damn it, is there anything our esteemed Preaching Mirror viewers can't see? Feng Zhongzui, didn’t I buy you a drink? Are you taking money and not delivering?”“That’s right, Feng Tiantian, if it’s too much, I’ll buy you some gifts too. Please get closer, I beg you!”

Feng Tiantian was startled by the mysterious celestial light and retreated with the mirror, clack-clack. She was even more curious about what had just happened. Seeing that she was unharmed, she boldly moved forward. At the same time, she began operating the Preaching Mirror’s functions:“Everyone, don’t panic. Tiantian is fine, and I believe you’re all very curious…”

Feng Tiantian was about to use the Preaching Mirror to rewind the footage, then blur out the battle’s dazzling light to glimpse the essence through the phenomena. For no reason, she lost even the thought of rewinding. She patted her chest, saying with lingering fear:“Curiosity killed the cat.”“Tiantian was just scared to death. I feel like I can’t get any closer!”

“Give me some face.”Outwardly, Grandmaster Dao remained calm and composed. Inwardly, Dao Qiongcang had shattered. Naked photos? What naked photos? Naturally, it could only be the photos from the Divine Ruins where Xu Xiaoshou extinguished his soul with a single finger, and after he returned, he saw the Four Saints studying his naked body. If those photos were released, regardless of their authenticity, his dignified image, maintained for thirty years, would absolutely collapse overnight. And to reveal them through the Preaching Mirror would be equivalent to bypassing all dissemination time and channels, directly reaching the final step… sweeping through the Five Regions! There would be no way to stop it!

“Consider me begging you, Grandmaster Sou.”“Please be merciful and let me go, how about it?”Dao Qiongcang wailed, even using the Mind-Link Art to transmit a message in the most secretive way. This was, of course, not because he feared that normal sound transmission would be intercepted by Feng Tiantian and the Preaching Mirror; they didn't have that capability yet. Rather, he feared that Xu Xiaoshou, that damned fellow, in his current enraged state, might find a way to broadcast his transmitted message to the Five Regions!

“It feels like… they… are a bit strange?”The Preaching Mirror was still broadcasting, and even Feng Tiantian frowned, sensing something amiss. Xu Xiaoshou and Dao Qiongcang didn't seem like strangers; their relationship was more intimate than she had imagined. They were likely communicating privately at this moment. But soon, Grandmaster Sou, catching Grandmaster Dao, spoke coldly aloud.“Are you Ba Zun'an?”

What does that mean? Feng Tiantian was stunned. The people of the Five Regions were also stunned. Dao Qiongcang was even more so. After realizing this wasn't a Mind-Link Art but something audible across the entire continent, he tightened his smile and maintained his composure, saying:“What do you mean?”The moment the words left his mouth, Dao Qiongcang’s pupils dilated, and he inwardly thought, *Not good*—he knew what it meant. But just as he raised his hand, the mysterious celestial light hadn't yet descended, nor had it blocked the Preaching Mirror's image. Above the high heavens of Xuyue Gray Palace, there was a sudden thunderous roar; all Dao arts fell into disarray, as if cooked in a single pot by someone. Not only could he not draw power to block the image, but the explosion made Dao Qiongcang’s head buzz. Grandmaster Sou’s subsequent words, amplified for the Five Regions, made everyone practically split apart where they stood:“Oh, so you’re not Ba Zun'an?”“Then why are you secretly sending me a message, asking me to save you some face? What’s a dignified Grandmaster Dao being so timid about?”“And why should I save you face, and help you hide your transmitted message? Is it because you’ve ever given me face?”Grandmaster Sou finished speaking, tilted his head as if in thought. After a pause, he shrugged his shoulders and spread his hands expressionlessly.“My apologies, it seems you haven’t?”In his palm, a Record Bead.