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Chapter 2046: Memories and Scars

“This is...”

Xu Xiaoshou felt he had a dream. In the dream, his head turned into a butt, and several tongues grew out of his chest. He was so hideous that he couldn't bear to look, even wanting to kill himself. In the last glimpse of the dream, he looked back and saw Dao Qiongcang. The dandy old Daoist's eyes held no pity or sympathy, only his usual cold indifference—a truly heartless manipulator of heavenly secrets.

But with that one glance, the dream changed. Possessing the Sea of Intent, even with his abilities suppressed within the realm of the Delayed Law Heavenly Kingdom, he clearly felt a wisp of something, half-intent, half-not—perhaps better called "memory"—that was taken by Dao Qiongcang with that look. Then, he arrived in this black world before him.

“The River of Memories?”

In the dim world, there were no concepts of heaven and earth, space, or Dao laws. There was only a winding black river flowing from one side to the other. The water gurgled, flowing endlessly through the ages, emanating an ancient, weathered aura. Looking into the distance, at every bend of the river, one or more distinct figures stood.

Their forms were blurry, making it hard to discern their features from afar, yet some distinctive traits were unforgettable to Xu Xiaoshou, even in a dream.

“Hee-ha, hee-ha, hee-hee-ha!”

That demonic laughter echoed not far away. As the array pattern materialized with a bright glow, a figure leaped three feet high: “It’s done!”

“Isn't this the Grand Dao Diagram?”

“Life patterns, profound spiritual refinement, the Grand Dao Diagram, or perhaps the Grand Dao Plate—when all are lit and can individually verify the Dao laws of heaven and earth, it signifies completion, forming the foundation for returning to zero.”

Elder Qiao...

Xu Xiaoshou was dumbfounded, seeing Elder Qiao Qianzhi of the Heavenly Mulberry Spirit Palace's Spirit Affairs Pavilion here—or rather, the leader of the Saint Palace's Four Scions. Was he conducting research here? Where was this place? He wasn't dead yet?

A series of questions arose. Xu Xiaoshou stepped closer, wanting to interact with Elder Qiao, but found that while he could see the elder, Elder Qiao could not see him. He reached out to touch, pinching Elder Qiao's backside. Elder Qiao's blurry figure seemed oblivious. He fiercely slapped Elder Qiao's face. Elder Qiao startled, looked around, and finding no one, clutched his chest, gasping for air.

“What the devil...”

*I* must be seeing a ghost!

Xu Xiaoshou's heart seized up. He felt this was the work of the dandy old Daoist, inextricably linked to memory. As for why he was an exception, able to see and touch others here, it might be related to his perfected Sea of Intent.

He continued forward. Along the black river, amidst the gurgling water, he reached the next bend and saw another familiar face! The figure leaned against a broken rock on the riverbank, looking forlorn and self-pitying, seemingly unaware of his presence.

“Hua Changdeng?” Xu Xiaoshou's pupils constricted. “Weren't you at the Venerable Supreme Slash...”

He abruptly stopped talking. He walked up and slapped Hua Changdeng's face too. Hua Changdeng sprang up, looked around, and seeing no one, sat back down, still frowning and deep in thought, as if still comprehending the Sword Ghost.

“Hiss.”

Xu Xiaoshou drew a sharp breath, faintly sensing the sheer audacity of the dandy old Daoist this time. Was he preparing something big? He continued forward. At the next bend, as expected, he saw another familiar figure. The figure was handsome, with long, narrow, enchanting fox eyes. He was resting his chin on his hand, staring at his fragmented self drifting with the current in the river, clearly having shed all worries and completely engrossed in just one thought:

“Sister, are you well? Do you miss Ah Li...”

Moon Fox!

You're not dead either?

No, it should be said that everyone who died has been “captured” by Dao Qiongcang into this special world?

“Memory...”

Xu Xiaoshou's mind jolted, and the dark time when everyone entered the Qianshi Imperial Realm under Dao Peipei's control flashed through his mind. At that time, under Dao Peipei's control, everyone wished they were dead. They couldn't even commit suicide, or rather, even if they succeeded, they couldn't truly die. Because from Dao Peipei's perspective, the definition of life and death, existence and immortality, was this:

“A person dies three deaths: the first is when body, spirit, and intent all perish; the second is when the meaning of one's existence is erased at their funeral; the third is when they are forgotten by the entire world.”

“So, if even one person remembers our name, does that not mean we have 'immortality'?”

Immortality!

Connecting this with Dao Ancestor Yi Ji and the concepts like “Memory Network” and “Memory Immortality” promoted in his era, Xu Xiaoshou suddenly realized: Dao Qiongcang has succeeded! Perhaps he was brought into this “Memory Immortality” world because of that last glance?

“Whoosh!”

The sound of the Dao echoed. The River of Memories flowed on, surging endlessly. Xu Xiaoshou suppressed his shock and continued forward. As expected, he saw many more familiar figures. There was Yan Wuse, there was Number Two... There was Rao Yaoyao, there was Ai Cangsheng... There was Yan Sheng, the Alliance Master of the Heavenly Alliance; Zhong Yuanzi, the Elemental Divine Envoy; and Old Yu, the Kunpeng Divine Envoy... There was Situ Yongren, Nangong Youshu, Dao Peipei, and even Yi Ji, who greatly resembled Dao Qiongcang but was more imposing and looked more like a superior being!

On the Saint God Continent, in the broader sense of the world, they had either merged into the Dao Ancestor or had long since perished. But here, they lived individually, undisturbed by each other, residing alongside the black River of Memories, still retaining the fundamental characteristics of living beings such as thought and action. Before this, Xu Xiaoshou had been completely unaware of it. He firmly believed that ancestors like the Demonic Medicine Deity were also completely oblivious to this mysterious world; otherwise, Dao Qiongcang would have been jointly besieged and killed.

Gazing at Old Yu, wearing straw sandals, with his long fishing rod cast into the River of Memories while he himself dozed with squinted eyes, Xu Xiaoshou was momentarily stunned, unable to fully process the sight. Was this a Great Harmony world? A lonely, eternal world with few worries, no war, no strife, and no struggle for the Dao?

Xu Xiaoshou stopped, no longer moving forward. Cupping his hands to his mouth, he shouted loudly towards the black River of Memories:

“Dandy old Daoist, come out!”

The echo carried far, yet it failed to elicit a single glance back, as if everyone was deaf.

“If you don't come out, I'll pee in your River of Memories!”

The moment he uttered these words, a whooshing sound finally appeared near his ear, accompanied by a faint sigh:

“I knew it. With your Sea of Intent perfected, you should have been able to retain your self. I shouldn't have brought you in...”

Xu Xiaoshou sharply turned his head. Beside him, clad in a starry cloud robe, who else could it be but Dao Qiongcang? He pointed at the ground and asked:

“What is this?”

“Love.”

“I said, what is this?”

“Great love.”

“Are you pretending not to understand me? I'm asking, what is this?!”

“My Xu, can't you feel it? This is the deepest, most tender part of my inner being, Dao Qiongcang...”

Before he finished speaking, Xu Xiaoshou stepped forward and slapped the dandy old Daoist across the face.

“Ugh!” Dao Qiongcang clutched his face, his eyes wide with surprise, as he stumbled back. “Are you crazy?!”

Xu Xiaoshou said nothing, merely pointed at the ground again. Dao Qiongcang turned his head away, actually blushing a little, and mumbled:

“You really don't see it?”

“This is the fundamental difference between me and Saint Xin, and Shennong Baicao.”

“They cultivate the Dao of Ruthlessness. I have suffered my entire life, yet I could never completely let go of the people, events, and things I have seen and experienced. That's why I preserve them in my memories. That's why I say this is 'love,' my Xu...”

Xu Xiaoshou was finally rendered speechless. *Your* love is a bit twisted, a bit perverted.

“Can they be resurrected?”

“Not at the moment.”

“Why not?”

“Because I can't defeat Saint Xin, so I don't dare to show myself.”

Xu Xiaoshou opened his mouth, then rolled his eyes and continued to ask, “Can they communicate with each other?”

“Not at the moment.”

“Why not?”

“It's a principle even worldly emperors understand: a single person can't cause trouble, but a group of people, especially a group of geniuses, easily creates variables and leads to loss of control.”

“Oh...”

Xu Xiaoshou nodded slightly, lost in thought, then pointed back at the ground, repeating his initial question:

“What is this?”

“The back of memory.”

“What is it?”

“This Ancestor's Divine Court, black memory traces.”

“What?”

“Its characteristic is 'non-existence,' but as long as I don't perish, it will always exist. Master Shou, I really can't say any more. You have to respect others' privacy. I've already told you the softest secret of my heart, and you've got me cornered...”

Dao Qiongcang refused to answer further, his gaze fixed straight ahead. He finally began to retort: “Master Shou, are you truly powerless?”

“Help me open a crack in the Delayed Law Heavenly Kingdom.”

“Cannot do.”

“Then we die together.”

“No, I can be Saint Xin's dog. I'm afraid of death, so I won't die.”

“You son of a...”

Enraged, Xu Xiaoshou swung a punch. This time, Dao Qiongcang was prepared and swiftly jumped aside with an "ehe." Xu Xiaoshou's punch met only air. The two looked at each other, both momentarily speechless.

Dao Qiongcang had won! As early as when he saw Dao Ancestor Yi Ji within these black memory traces, Xu Xiaoshou was convinced that the dandy old Daoist had defeated Yi Ji in the final inheritance. He had succeeded, after all, he was the most monstrous talent, refined through countless generations and iterations. He had triumphed over Yi Ji's possession. Was it an illusion? Was it a disguise? Xu Xiaoshou had confirmed it. However, with his perfected Sea of Intent, one glance revealed that what was real could not be faked, and what was fake could not be real. That was indeed the aura of Dao Ancestor Yi Ji.

Unlike Yan Sheng, Dao Peipei, and other fourth-generation Heavenly Secret puppets, the level of Dao laws surrounding Yi Ji was far higher than that of ancestors like Hua Changdeng and Yue Gongli, and fundamentally different from Dao Qiongcang. At the "intent" level, they were two completely opposite individuals to the dandy old Daoist, making it impossible for Yi Ji to be a high-level Heavenly Secret puppet or an incarnation of an ancestral god. Furthermore, Dao Qiongcang bringing him to this Divine Court, which represented the softest part of his inner being, showed that he still had a part of himself he couldn't let go of—perhaps this was one reason he felt ashamed. A kindred spirit is hard to find, or perhaps it's not easy for a wolf to find its accomplice.

Xu Xiaoshou seemed to recapture the feeling of that all-night chat on Qingyuan Mountain, which emboldened him to act recklessly and ask probing questions. Unfortunately, while Dao Qiongcang was strong in his comprehension and manifestation of memory, his combat power was indeed far inferior to Saint Xin's single Delayed Law Heavenly Kingdom.

“I saw the Divine Court's Delayed Law Heavenly Kingdom even when I was Yi Ji; it wasn't this strong then.”

“Now, with the blessing of the Divine-Demonic Dao Sea, suppressing your Sea of Intent, Master Shou, presents no difficulty at all.”

“Even if Eighth Venerable An were to come, if caught off guard within its confines, he would likely be utterly defenseless.”

“Therefore, even if I had the ability to break a crack, the Delayed Law Heavenly Kingdom would rapidly repair itself, and Saint Xin could deploy it again, the only cost being a bit more energy.”

Dao Qiongcang sighed from the bottom of his heart: “Master Shou, and this is just one of his trump cards. How do you break it?”

“What do you think?”

How could Xu Xiaoshou let this brain go unused? Dao Qiongcang shook his head, then after a moment's thought, shook it again. “It cannot be broken.”

“No solution?”

“Yes.”

“Then you're destined to be a dog. But what if Medicine Ancestor forcefully kills you and takes your Dao? What if Saint Xin also wants to eat dog meat?”

Dao Qiongcang opened his mouth, his expression grim. *I* can mock myself, but your mouth is truly poisonous, isn't it? Who curses people so indirectly? Before he could speak, Xu Xiaoshou chuckled coldly, “Don't tell me you have a way to make them dislike dog meat. Instead of beating around the bush, let's speak frankly, Dao Nitian.”

As he spoke, he patted his chest and then stepped on the black ground beneath his feet: “Don't forget, I am now standing on the very softest part of your inner being. I am within your tenderness, and I am also thinking for you.”

Dao Qiongcang, rarely, blushed, feeling a bit awkward. After a long silence, he finally managed to blurt out:

“Eighth Venerable An.”

Xu Xiaoshou's expression shifted. Still saying you can't break through the Delayed Law Heavenly Kingdom?

“You have a way to recall Eighth Venerable An?”

“No.” Dao Qiongcang's face was bitter, and after much thought, he finally sighed. “It's Moon Palace Slave.”

The Eight-Character Command Token?

Xu Xiaoshou realized something. Dao Qiongcang shook his head again and again. “But it's not feasible. Moon Palace Slave has already been guided by you to the Apricot Realm, and ancestors like the Demonic Medicine Deity are all paying attention to the Eight-Character Command Token. Once I activate her token, whether a wisp of Eighth Venerable An's will can be recalled is one thing; the Apricot Realm's demise is sure to be accelerated. Can you bear this cost, Master Shou?”

Xu Xiaoshou spread his hands, saying nothing. Yet his expression seemed to speak volumes: *I've fallen to this state; do you think I can bear it?*

“Furthermore!”

Dao Qiongcang sighed repeatedly: “I'm merely guessing. Firstly, recalling Eighth Venerable An might not even work. Secondly, Eighth Venerable An would need to completely shatter the Delayed Law Heavenly Kingdom with one strike, at least rendering the Divine Court unusable for a short period. Only if both these conditions are fully met can we win... only then can we win this round against Saint Xin and face his potentially countless subsequent rounds.”

He looked up, his gaze fixed on Xu Xiaoshou: “Setting aside how difficult these two conditions are, what then? Who will withstand a furious and berserk Saint Xin?”

Did he mean absolute attack?

Upon hearing this, Xu Xiaoshou lowered his head, as if he had grasped something.

Dao Qiongcang's eyes lit up: “Master Shou, you have no solution either, right?”

Xu Xiaoshou didn't answer. They were both vying to ask questions, as if they were both question addicts: “But how are you so certain that Eighth Venerable An can shatter the Delayed Law Heavenly Kingdom?”

“I'm not certain...”

Xu Xiaoshou slapped him again, with lightning speed, as if it had been long premeditated.

“You!”

“Liars get slapped.”

Dao Qiongcang's eyes were bloodshot, his killing intent almost enough to flay a person alive. Finally, he looked around, and seeing no one, swallowed his anger:

“It was just a guess...”

Xu Xiaoshou's knuckles twitched, and Dao Qiongcang sprang away like a coiled spring, exclaiming in surprise:

“Before!”

“After the Battle of the Ten Venerables!”

“No matter what, I was the Sixth Saint Slave, and I had some heart-to-heart talks with Eighth Venerable An.”

He paused, the dandy old Daoist stroking his nose, his gaze filled with reminiscence:

“He said in a joking tone that he would compile the book *Observation of the Sword Canon*, gathering the essence of swordsmanship to unleash an astonishing sword strike.”

“However, from his becoming an Ancestor to his departure from the Era of Time, even the Grand Dream of a Thousand Autumns and the Peerless Sword Bone, though powerful, were merely conventional to Eighth Venerable An; they couldn't be called 'astonishing,' much less capable of completely shattering the Delayed Law Heavenly Kingdom.”

“Therefore, I've been thinking that the Saint God Continent might have limited his potential at the time. Eighth Venerable An should have a stronger sword strike that he hasn't unleashed yet, but what exactly it is, I don't know—if it exists, then recalling Eighth Venerable An makes sense; otherwise, it's all pointless!”

Dao Qiongcang's gaze was burning, implying not that he was certain Eighth Venerable An possessed this sword strike, but that if such a strike truly existed, Xu Xiaoshou would surely know.

*Do I know?*

Xu Xiaoshou asked himself, genuinely confused. Suddenly, as his thoughts landed on the *Observation of the Sword Canon*.

The scene from his early days, when he encountered Red Dog in Heavenly Mulberry City, was saved by Laughing Big Mouth, and first opened the sword book after receiving the *Observation of the Sword Canon*, surged into his mind. It was Eighth Venerable An's sword intent from the book. He didn't draw any physical sword; instead, he condensed his body into a sheath, his single hand hovering over his head, gathering myriad sword intents, and slowly drew a sword from his crown. That sword, in fact, wasn't even drawn a tenth of the way out, nor was it ultimately unleashed, yet it shattered the entire illusory world. It was as if, at full power, in Eighth Venerable An's current "return to zero" state, one strike could cleave not just the Delayed Law Heavenly Kingdom, but even the New Heavenly Realm in two.

Most crucially, this sword was nowhere to be found in the rest of the *Observation of the Sword Canon*'s full text, which only contained concepts of merging various realms, up to the third realm. At that time, Eighth Venerable An had just begun compiling the book, and this sword was only in its nascent form, not truly existing in the world, which was understandable. But now, he had perfected his Grand Dao and taken a step towards "returning to zero." If Dao Qiongcang's conjecture was correct, and Eighth Venerable An truly possessed a sword strike that could completely transcend the third realm of swordsmanship, reaching the power of the fourth or even fifth realm, capable of absolutely shattering the Divine Court's Delayed Law Heavenly Kingdom...

If it was this one sword, and no other technique, then what was such a sword strike called? At this point in his thoughts, the few sentences Laughing Big Mouth had left at the beginning of the *Observation of the Sword Canon* resurfaced:

“Do you want to master the 'Sword-Worshipping Art' you just saw?”

“Do you want to possess the heroic spirit of 'a sword coming from the East, leaning drunkenly against the blue sky'?”

“Do you want to reach the peak of this world with your treasured sword, cutting through the endless shackles from the magnificent Heavenly Dao?”

The rest of the rambling could be ignored. But that phrase "Sword-Worshipping Art," that word "Worship"... Combined with the "power" of Eighth Venerable An, the current foremost swordsman, and the "Moon Gazing" Immortal City of Laughing Big Mouth, Eighth Venerable An's registered disciple... This sword strike truly existed!

When Eighth Venerable An imparted the Dao to Xiao Kongtong, he even had the rudimentary concept and informed him, continuously practicing it throughout his life!

“That's it...”

The Sword-Self is merely a Dao. There must be a sword strike that can interpret the Dao of the Sword-Self to its utmost, transforming it into the most extreme offensive power. It's not the Grand Dream of a Thousand Autumns, nor the Peerless Sword Bone. Other than the Sword-Worshipping Art, what else could it be?

“Sword-Worshipping Art...”

Xu Xiaoshou mumbled, lost in thought.

“Yes! That's it!”

Dao Qiongcang had never heard of any "Sword-Worshipping Art," but that didn't stop him from confirming, based on Xu Xiaoshou's uncertain expression, that Xu was convinced Eighth Venerable An possessed this sword strike. He immediately became interested, his tone shifting from helpless to resentful:

“Actually, I don't want to be a dog.”

“Actually, if possible, I could indeed summon Eighth Venerable An to deliver a strike.”

“But given his wariness towards me, there's a high probability that strike wouldn't be aimed at the Delayed Law Heavenly Kingdom, but at me. Of course, it's also not certain that he would even use the 'Sword-Worshipping Art'.”

Dao Qiongcang looked somewhat abashed but had no choice but to push on: “So, Master Shou, you'll have to step forward.”

Xu Xiaoshou's face darkened, his expression clearly saying:

*Me, step forward and crush the Eight-Character Command Token? My face has been replaced by a butt, and tongues are growing from my chest. I'm already in a desperate situation, like a clay Buddha crossing a river—how can I free my hands to crush the Eight-Character Command Token? And what if the will within that token dictates that whoever crushes it dies? What if Eighth Venerable An, once he emerges, has no capacity for thought and simply hacks at me with a sword? What would I do then?*

By the black River of Memories, silence reigned for a long time. Xu Xiaoshou pondered, then finally spoke, asking:

“Dandy old Daoist, after a lifetime of scrambling and groveling, have you ever thought about acting like a dignified person just once?”

A loud alarm blared in Dao Qiongcang's heart. He took three steps back, wary of being hit, deceived, or entrapped. At the same time, he repeatedly shook his head. He admitted his fear of death and his willingness to cling to life, which inherently meant he couldn't be locked onto, chosen, or morally coerced.

Yet Xu Xiaoshou still gazed at him intently, seemingly having a preliminary plan, but utterly ignoring logic or strategy. Instead, he clenched his fists, his blood boiling, and played the emotional card, saying with great enthusiasm:

“Or, put it this way...”

“Dao Nitian, in your entire life, have you ever fought for a friend?”

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