Chapter 2023: Perfect Completion

“Here comes the fallacy…”

The insights from the Body Dao Disk had not stopped.

Just as Xu Xiaoshou was about to start allocating points to his extended passive skills, he suddenly got goosebumps.

It was a warning, a product of his evolved Heaven-Human Unity and the intuitive foresight of his perfected Intent Dao, clearly indicating that he was cultivating the Dao in the wrong direction.

“Being as form, as existence, as life…”

“The reverse of being: formless, empty, and fading…”

“The Body Dao encompasses the Combat Dao, Martial Dao, and the Dao of Life. I only need to attempt to ‘liberate’ my physical body to stand on the reverse side of the Grand Dao, like Dao Qiongcang, making myself imperceptible…”

Interesting!

But the interesting part wasn't the Dao method he had comprehended.

Instead, Xu Xiaoshou realized he could observe himself, almost as an outsider, gradually succumbing to qi deviation due to his obsession with cultivating the Dao.

It was clearly a misguided path of cultivation, yet incredibly tempting.

If a cultivator failed to notice, and continued down this path, it would appear that ‘liberating’ the physical body led to success. In reality, it was merely a form of self-disintegration.

Politely, it was ‘liberation’; bluntly, it was ‘suicide’.

“But with my perfected Intent Dao, perhaps what others cannot achieve, I can accomplish: recovering myself through Intent Dao even after ‘suicide’.”

“If this experiment succeeds, I would essentially gain an immortal body—incapable of self-destruction and immune to external harm…”

The idea was deeply appealing.

However, his Heaven-Human Unity and perfected Intent Dao continuously reminded him that despite the allure, there was no need to act on it.

Xu Xiaoshou chuckled, accepting this insight into the ‘virtualized’ Dao, but choosing not to adopt or practice it. He then continued to seek understanding in a different direction.

His initial attempt revealed that the ‘warnings’ weren’t solely from Heaven-Human Unity; his perfected Intent Dao also contributed, which greatly reassured him.

Great skill breeds great daring.

Xu Xiaoshou began simultaneously comprehending the Body Dao from multiple angles.

He aimed to quickly amass a large number of ‘fallacies’ to make the ‘correct’ path increasingly clear.

He had a clear premonition: the Body Dao Disk was on the verge of a breakthrough. Reaching 98 wasn't hard, but 99 would be the true challenge.

Simultaneously, the mental processes still dedicated to the passive system had already moved on to the basic and extended passive skill modules.

“Of the six hundred million passive points, nearly two hundred million will be spent…”

This was a highly necessary allocation of points. Xu Xiaoshou wasn't so reluctant to spend that he would sacrifice tangible improvement by solely focusing on refining auxiliary methods.

“Then the Breathing Technique it is. Let's start with this foundational passive skill, and let it also mark the beginning of its completion.”

Without hesitation, Xu Xiaoshou exchanged ten five-tier skill points, costing a total of one million passive points. He then focused on the Breathing Technique, which was only at Saint Emperor Lv.0, and proceeded to act.

“Breathing Technique (Saint Emperor Lv.1).”“Breathing Technique (Saint Emperor Lv.2).”“Breathing Technique (Saint Emperor Lv.10).”

A profound sense of exhilaration arose as the cultivation method broke through its bottleneck.

All the pores on his body opened, unleashing a surging suction force that drew in the chaotic, disordered power from the Time Realm.

Within his body, this power was then transformed into immeasurable energy.

However…

“Not enough!”

“Far from enough!”

The power level within the Time Realm was simply too high.

Even with the Breathing Technique at Saint Emperor Lv.10, the amount consumed was minimal, and the transformation process was agonizingly slow.

It would be more effective to simply unleash the Boundless Void Child and absorb it directly!

“Then continue!”

The first Perfected Skill Point was immediately applied to the Breathing Technique without a moment's hesitation.

In an instant, he distinctly felt his physical body vibrate, as if a qualitative change was occurring after a rapid breakthrough.

Then, with Xu Xiaoshou at the center, all power within a ten-thousand-zhang radius of the Time Realm was suddenly drained.

“What?”

War Ancestor's eyelids twitched as he watched Xu Xiaoshou suddenly swell up.

Then, nine full moons illuminated behind him, and he rapidly deflated, as if he had just digested the immense power he had absorbed.

“Breathing Technique (Perfected).”

When this notification appeared, a profound sense of relief, akin to years of constipation finally easing, suddenly washed over him.

There was no subsequent Lv.0 or Lv.1.

Perfected simply meant perfected; no unnecessary suffixes were needed.

Xu Xiaoshou's entire being relaxed, feeling an unparalleled sense of satisfaction. He then exchanged another Perfected Skill Point and applied it to the Breathing Technique.

With a soft crackle, the skill point disintegrated, reverting to passive points.

Xu Xiaoshou's expression instantly eased.

He opened his eyes, glanced at War Ancestor, noted his slightly peculiar expression, offered a faint smile, and then closed his eyes once more.

Continue allocating points!

Without any pause!

“Ever-Enduring Life (Saint Emperor Lv.1).”“Ever-Enduring Life (Saint Emperor Lv.2).”“Ever-Enduring Life (Saint Emperor Lv.10).”“Ever-Enduring Life (Perfected).”

And one more!

“Vibrant Energy (Saint Emperor Lv.1).”“Vibrant Energy (Saint Emperor Lv.2).”“Vibrant Energy (Saint Emperor Lv.10).”“Vibrant Energy (Perfected).”

As all three foundational passive skills reached perfection, a perfectly balanced internal circulation of Yin and Yang was established.

His body felt like a bottomless pit.

Whenever he desired, a ceaseless flow of power could surge forth.

What was lost in one area could be gained from another, and any deficit could be replenished from elsewhere.

The only remaining flaw was still the transformation process, which remained stalled. The bridge between depletion and replenishment was still as narrow as a single log, far from a broad, flowing pathway.

However…

“The Dao of Body, from inside out, then from outside in.”

“War Ancestor was right; merely comprehending the Body Dao isn't enough for its cultivation; it also requires extensive training.”

“And it's quite possible that once my external circulation is fully established and achieves a Yin and Yang balance with the internal circulation, that will be the moment I reach Body Dao 99!”

Why 99?

Because as this enlightenment dawned, his comprehension on the Body Dao Disk had already advanced another step.

“Body Dao Disk (98).”

Almost there, almost there!

Xu Xiaoshou opened his eyes once more, his gaze shining brightly.

This time, he didn't even bother closing his eyes. Following the precedent of the foundational passive skills, he began allocating points to the extended passive skills in the same manner.

“Strength (Perfected).”“Rebound (Perfected).”“Agility (Perfected).”“Perception (Perfected).”“Transformation (Perfected).”“Stealth (Perfected).”“Sharpness (Perfected).”“Resilience (Perfected).”“Conversion (Perfected).”

The nine extended passive skills were swiftly brought to perfection within a short span of time.

The changes this brought were far more spectacular than those from the foundational passive skills.

Across from him, War Ancestor watched wide-eyed as Xu Xiaoshou's physical body, though motionless, ascended at an incredible speed, propelled by the increasingly powerful throb of his heartbeat.

From Saint Emperor level, he soared to Ancestor God level.

From mortal flesh to the extraordinary and transcendent.

It manifested externally in every muscle, the crystalline transparency of his hair, the gradual perfection of his essence, qi, and spirit, the vibrant pulsation of his bones, and the return of his aura to its purest form.

“Boom!”

Ultimately, the Three Flowers Converged at the Crown.

After a small amount of impurities precipitated, thunder roared above Xu Xiaoshou's head, signaling that he could no longer suppress the Ancestral Source Emperor Tribulation.

Even before the lightning tribulation descended, his body had already undergone a substantial morphological transformation, becoming…

“A Divine Metamorphosis?!”

War Ancestor’s pupils widened in disbelief.

This was truly unbelievable. It was the first time he had witnessed such a thing: someone undergoing a divine transformation without even enduring—or even facing—the Ancestor God's Tribulation of Annihilation…

Even more, the individual hadn't even begun ‘cultivating,’ yet their physical body had automatically transformed into a divine form, taking the final step before becoming a God and an Ancestor?

“No, he wasn’t idle…”

“He’s using a unique power to refine his physical body…”

What kind of power could be so potent?

Clearly, the only path to refining the physical body was through diligent effort; shortcuts were simply impossible.

Yet, Xu Xiaoshou seemed to have become a sword, capable of growing through mere nourishment, and in just ten breaths, completed cultivation that might have taken ten or even a hundred thousand years, thereby becoming a renowned sword.

Wait!

Could it be that there truly exists a power capable of such an effect?

“The Power of Name?” War Ancestor murmured, a slight surprise in his voice.

Now it was Xu Xiaoshou's turn to be surprised. “Wu Bao,” he asked, “you know of the Name Ancestor?”

War Ancestor’s eye twitched. He still hadn't fully processed the overly familiar address. Perhaps if he had called him “Martial Master,” it might have been better...

But that was all in the past.

Bringing up the matter of titles now felt a bit absurd.

Wu Bao shook his head, not dwelling on the matter. He simply said, “I've heard of him…”

“From whom?” Xu Xiaoshou pressed.

War Ancestor paused, then finally recalled something: “When I attained the Ancestor title, I once met a person wearing a Nuo mask, who called himself Xi He…”

So, the Nuo Ancestor approached you too?

Xu Xiaoshou’s heart stirred. He didn’t interrupt, allowing Wu Bao to continue:

“The moment he appeared, he directly pointed out my shortcomings. Though blunt, his words held considerable truth.”

“If it had only been that, it would have been acceptable.”

“He spoke to me at length. Initially, I felt he was someone with a compatible temperament, but in the end, he revealed his true intentions.”

“He offered to aid my cultivation, saying that once I achieved success, I could praise his name, find his true form beyond the Heavenly Realm, and lend them a hand…”

That sounds ominous?

Wu Bao, why does your description make Mad Nuo’s plea for aid sound like a veiled threat, reminiscent of the proverb 'when the map ends, the dagger is revealed'?

Xu Xiaoshou raised an eyebrow. “You hit him?”

“In this world, is there truly such a thing as a free lunch?” War Ancestor scratched his head, chuckling. “This Ancestor struck him with one punch and blew him apart.”

Impressive!

Upon hearing Wu Bao’s description of Mad Nuo, Xu Xiaoshou knew instantly that these two would not end well. And indeed…

“So, you heard about the Name Ancestor from the Nuo Ancestor too?”

War Ancestor’s eyes flickered, surprised yet finding it natural. “You, too, have met him?”

With a sigh, War Ancestor’s expression turned wistful as he continued:

“It was only later that I vaguely realized perhaps the Nuo Ancestor’s words weren’t false; I might have struck a good person.”

“The names of the Name Ancestor and Time Ancestor—I learned them all from him.”

“But I never saw the Nuo Ancestor again, nor the Name, Time, or Dao he spoke of.”

Poor Mad Nuo!

Why couldn’t he reflect properly? After repeatedly failing to get help and constantly being beaten, perhaps the problem lay with himself?

Xu Xiaoshou simply chuckled, dismissing the thought.

He refocused, intent on returning to his point allocation and the Ancestral Source Emperor Tribulation.

“Rumble!”

The lightning tribulation descended.

Yet, the Ancestral Source Emperor Tribulation couldn't even affect an ordinary divine metamorphosis.

How could it possibly inflict even a sliver of damage on Xu Xiaoshou’s ultimate divine transformation, honed through the Body Dao and Combat Dao?

With a wave of his hand, the lightning tribulation turned to dust.

Yet, for no discernible reason, Xu Xiaoshou felt a sudden chill, a sense that something was off…

“Wait!”

“Something's wrong!”

“Did I overlook something?”

The insights into the Body Dao were still flowing.

But Heaven-Human Unity was no longer issuing alerts, meaning he hadn't yet encountered the next ‘fallacy’ of 1.

However, his perfected Intent Dao began fiercely assaulting his mind, attempting to awaken him to something crucial he had overlooked.

Re-evaluate!

Xu Xiaoshou abruptly ceased all movements.

He deeply trusted Intent Dao. Even if he couldn’t trust himself, he had to trust Intent Dao’s intuitive flashes—after all, while he sometimes couldn’t save himself, his intuition had saved him on more than one occasion!

Upon closer reflection…

The more he thought, the more horrifying it became!

Xu Xiaoshou's face paled slightly as he looked at Wu Bao. “You just mentioned, how many people did the Nuo Ancestor bring up?”

War Ancestor paused, puzzled. “The Name Ancestor, the Time Ancestor?”

“And one more.”

“That’s it.”

“No, there was one more.”

“No, there wasn't…” War Ancestor frowned, staring at Xu Xiaoshou and wondering if he had suffered qi deviation from his cultivation.

“Think carefully again,” Xu Xiaoshou said with certainty. “You just used a word that felt out of place. I’m quite sensitive to such things.”

He glanced around, sensing that the Time Realm had become dangerous.

But could that individual’s power already permeate the Time Realm?

Or, perhaps, it was something that the Cursed Demonic Medicine didn't focus on. But if it was *him*, would he truly overlook small details like the Time Realm?

“This isn’t the place to talk. Let’s go back.”

With a wave of his hand, the Dao-Snatching Tendril pulled War Ancestor back into the Venerable Extreme Slash Space. Xu Xiaoshou stared intently at the burly Wu Bao. “Think carefully again,” he urged, “use your mind!”

Rumble!

The lightning tribulation continued to descend.

The Ancestral Source Emperor Tribulation could inflict no harm.

Xu Xiaoshou conversed with Wu Bao while enduring the tribulation, waiting for the latter to realize what terrifying thing he had unconsciously uttered.

“Oh…” War Ancestor finally snapped back to awareness, clenching his fist. “You mean, the Dao Ancestor?”

“You know him?” Xu Xiaoshou’s heart sank, though he wondered if his recent conversation about the Dao Ancestor had somehow muddled War Ancestor’s memory.

No!

“Time, Name, Nuo, Dao — together to resist the Great Tribulation.”

War Ancestor stated very clearly, “I remember, the one who called himself Xi He told me that…”

Impossible!

Goosebumps erupted across Xu Xiaoshou’s body.

If he remembered correctly, War Ancestor had just mentioned meeting the Nuo Ancestor right after he attained his Ancestor title.

War Ancestor was not Ba Zun’an, nor did he return to zero immediately after becoming an Ancestor.

Since the Nuo Ancestor was seeking aid, he would naturally know that the helper’s combat power would only be maximized after War Ancestor returned to zero.

Therefore, how could he dare to inform War Ancestor of the Great Tribulation in advance, allowing him to prematurely become entangled in karma?

“Wait!”

Xu Xiaoshou abruptly regained his composure.

He realized he seemed to have misunderstood something.

Only Zeroed Ancestor Gods were qualified to encounter the Great Tribulation, and it was best not to even mention the words ‘Great Tribulation’ before that. This seemed to be his own rhetoric used to mislead Medicine Ancestor and Demon Ancestor…

“Am I going mad?”

“Did I almost fool myself?”

Xu Xiaoshou slapped his head, annoyed, and suddenly understood.

How could a perfected Intent Dao make such a fundamental error? Essentially, it wasn't that he had a problem, but that his memory itself was flawed?

“Oh no, Dao Against Heaven…”

Xu Xiaoshou’s right eyelid began to twitch wildly.

It seemed as if some strange power was involving him.

He wanted to ignore the matter, prioritize allocating points, then finish comprehending the Body Dao, and only then attend to everything else…

He couldn't wait!

Unless this issue was resolved, his cultivation path would easily diverge, and his mental state would remain unstable!

Could it be that when Dao Qiongcang first became an Ancestor, the memory infusion encompassing all living beings in the Five Domains, through the slight intersection of the Dao of Memory and the Intent Dao, influenced the Intent Dao, and then indirectly affected him via the countless beings along the river of Intent Dao?

“Something’s wrong!”

War Ancestor’s Dharma Aspect had just been born.

Regardless, the Dao Ancestor’s name shouldn’t have come from his mouth.

Even if it did appear, it shouldn't be tied to Time, Name, and Nuo. Therefore, something must be amiss.

And to verify the root of this problem, the method was quite simple…

“Is it related to Time, Name, and Nuo?”

“Then I’ll go directly to them.”

Since coming to this world, there had only been one instance where Time, Name, and Nuo appeared together: the world beyond the three doors.

Previously, Xu Xiaoshou lacked the ability to return.

After all, his Time Dao Disk was only at 90, not 99.

But now, he didn't plan to return via temporal reversal. Instead, building upon his perfected Intent Dao, he intended to use Intent Dao to retrace his steps and examine the scene he witnessed then for any omissions.

“If ‘Time, Name, Nuo’ wasn't just ‘Time, Name, Nuo’ but ‘Time, Name, Nuo, Dao,’ then what I saw back then shouldn't have been three people, but four…”

“Indeed, at that time, Dao Ancestor Yi Ji hadn’t yet revived, and the entire world, myself included, had forgotten his existence. Furthermore, my Intent Dao only reached its perfected state in the world beyond the third door. During the second door’s period, I truly lacked the ability to perceive his presence…”

Xu Xiaoshou raised his head, looking at War Ancestor. “Wu Bao,” he said, “wait for me and protect me.”

Though War Ancestor didn’t know what Xu Xiaoshou intended, he merely nodded. “Mind the lightning tribulation,” he advised.

The lightning tribulation was trivial; even if he let it strike him, it couldn’t kill him.

Xu Xiaoshou briefly paused his Body Dao Disk comprehension, relying on his Intent Dao to forcibly record the fallacies. He then opened his Sea of Consciousness and submerged himself within its depths.

He began searching for the scenes he had witnessed in the world beyond the three doors. Those images were etched deep within his consciousness; if there had been any omissions back then, he could now fill them in, perceiving what was previously invisible.

“Three people, three people, three people…”

“Only a triangle possesses stability; it must be three people…”

He returned to the Ancient and Modern Forget-Worry Tower.

He returned to his comprehension of the Dao of Time.

Returning to the world before the three doors, Xu Xiaoshou pushed open the first.

He didn’t physically open it, but rather, from an omniscient perspective, re-observed what he had experienced at that time.

“The pavilion, the sound of water, the Time Ancestor’s back…”

“This is fine, perfectly fine…”

“Even the sound of water, it turns out, was the flowing of the long river of time. No issues at all…”

Xu Xiaoshou exited the world behind the first door and opened the second.

“The ward, the Source of Time and Space, the Gate of Reincarnation, the black turntable…”

“Good, no problems so far…”

Xu Xiaoshou waited quietly.

Soon, his past self in the ward used the golden bead of the Source of Time and Space to rewind the black turntable, entering a distinct space—the beginning of a dream where Time, Name, and Nuo crafted the black turntable!

“White smoke, blur, stone table, figures…”

“Excellent, not a single problem!”

Xu Xiaoshou waited and waited, finally reaching the point where his past self saw the scene clearly. Then, he counted meticulously.

One, two, three…

“Three people!”

“Perfect, no issues here either!”

The three figures before the table perfectly corresponded to Time, Name, and Nuo.

There was no Dao Ancestor as mentioned by War Ancestor. Time, Name, Nuo was simply Time, Name, Nuo. The iron triangle was exactly that—an iron triangle. It couldn't accommodate a fourth person.

Dao Ancestor Yi Ji?

He was one of the Ten Ancestors of the Saint God Continent, not from Mad Nuo’s world!

“Wait…”

“Yi Ji, it seems, might not necessarily be from the Saint God Continent…”

That wasn't important.

Xu Xiaoshou had seen what he needed to see and was ready to exit.

The Intent Dao's regression was incredibly fast. At this point, the Nuo Ancestor in the scene had already reached the stage of crafting the turntable, successively asking the Name Ancestor and Time Ancestor for blood and hair.

But he hadn't moved yet…

Xu Xiaoshou, too, was just about to withdraw…

Then, the sole discrepancy between what he had witnessed back then and what he remembered, appeared!

A voice echoed from afar amidst floating white smoke, and a hurried figure in a jade-white robe emerged.

“My apologies, I’m late.”

“Xi He, Jin Ren, Kong Yuhen, I have a few thoughts about this turntable as well…”