Chapter 702 - 18: Fighting Fu Xi, All Incarnations Descend, Integration Dao Imminent

Inside the Eight Trigrams Furnace.

"Third Master, what brings you here?"

Lu Xuan's true form spoke softly.

The Lame Daoist puffed out his cheeks and glared, scolding irritably:

"How many times have I told you? I'm First Master, First Master!"

After a pause, he pursed his lips, his expression suddenly turning solemn.

"Xiaoxuan, I came to deliver a message."

Lu Xuan's expression hardened. He bowed slightly.

"I am ready to hear Third Master's sacred words."

The Lame Daoist couldn't be bothered to correct him again and began to speak softly:

"A short while ago, after the Goddess entered the Eight Trigrams Furnace, I went to Guangcheng Palace to find Qing Xuan Daoist." 𝘧𝓇ℯℴ𝓂

"At that time, Qing Xuan Daoist was about to enter secluded, life-or-death cultivation, seal off Guangcheng Palace, and retreat from the world. When I saw him, he told me just one thing—or rather, he told it to you."

The Daoist paused, then relayed in a deep voice:

"'When the sandpiper and the clam fight, the fisherman profits. This is an opportunity to break the stalemate, but it is not the key. Remember, the true key lies in...'"

"'No destruction, no construction.'"

"'No destruction, no construction?'" Lu Xuan frowned, repeating the four words. He seemed a little lost, as if he didn't quite understand.

But the Lame Daoist simply nodded slightly.

"I cannot tell you the specifics, but I can tell you my own understanding... I am the End of all things, the finale of all things. You know this."

"Of course." Lu Xuan nodded, his expression grave as he listened quietly.

The Lame Daoist continued:

"And the End is not a true conclusion. Quite the opposite. Annihilation, destruction, and finality are often new beginnings. The Three Pristine Ones are one, and also a cycle. After Shangqing comes the Primordial!"

Lu Xuan froze, frowning as he mulled over the sentence. 'After Shangqing comes the Primordial... No destruction, no construction... No destruction, no construction...'

He vaguely grasped something, as if he was beginning to understand, but a pang of pain shot through his heart.

"Master, to do so... would go against my conscience..."

"Everything depends on you."

The Lame Daoist reached out, gently stroking Lu Xuan's head as if comforting a child, and said warmly:

"I know that the pain of the body is nowhere near as fierce as the pain of the heart, but... no destruction, no construction."

Lu Xuan fell silent.

After a long, long time, he shook his head and said softly:

"I think I understand. But I need some time to think, just a little time..."

"As soon as you can, child." The Lame Daoist smiled. "Until then, I will weather any storm for you."

.........

「In the depths of Chaos, near Purple Cloud Palace.」

Lu Xuan, in the guise of Supreme Laojun, stood quietly in the Great Chaos. His mere existence was enough to throw all of Chaos into turmoil.

He gazed at the World-Crossing Treasure Raft, at the corpse of the young girl slowly floating out from it, and a web of Cause and Effect appeared in his eyes.

Lu Xuan saw.

Empowered by the Cause of All Fruits and half a True Form of Transcendence, he clearly saw the entire chain of cause and effect. He saw through the Little Peach Spirit's eyes, saw the palm that blotted out the sun and sky as it descended...

'Was it Fengdu?'

'No, impossible.'

'Then it could only have been Fu Xi.'

Lu Xuan closed his eyes. Many things came to mind, including the message from his Third Master: 'no destruction, no construction'...

'No destruction, no construction' didn't mean finding life in death, because Lu Xuan did not fear death. He valued ritual, righteousness, and sought a clear world—a world where no action went against his conscience.

Therefore, for him, "destruction" was not death, but a violation of his conscience.

He had never been able to take that step.

Lu Xuan reined in his thoughts and gazed quietly at the Little Peach Spirit's remains. His heart felt as if it were being twisted by a knife, and rage flared within him, only to be forcibly extinguished as he entered the state of [Supreme Forgetting Emotions].

Under the influence of [Supreme Forgetting Emotions], Lu Xuan became extremely calm. He discarded all emotions and desires, becoming like the true Celestial Vault—impartial and selfless. He quickly began to analyze the situation.

Fu Xi had no reason to kill the Little Peach Spirit. Other than enraging him, it served no purpose.

Moreover, in the final scene he saw through Cause and Effect, the sky-blotting hand that 'Emperor Fengdu' had struck with was only meant to suppress...

Therefore, it wasn't Fu Xi who had killed the Little Peach Spirit.

As his thoughts raced, the perfectly calm Lu Xuan understood. Someone wanted to add fuel to the fire, and the only one who stood to gain from it was Taiyi!

'Taiyi, Taiyi...'

"I'll grant your wish this one time..."

Lu Xuan muttered to himself. In a daze, he recalled a conversation from many years ago with Elder Haotian.

"Xiaoxuan, you lack a certain grand boldness."

"What kind of grand boldness?"

"The grand boldness to enter the game as a player and use yourself as a piece."

'Enter the game as a player and use yourself as a piece... No destruction, no construction...'

He kept his eyes closed for a long time.

Then, he suddenly opened them.

Under the horrified gazes of everyone on the World-Crossing Treasure Raft, the figure of Supreme Laojun—who reached from heaven to earth and stirred Chaos into a frenzy—threw his head back and roared!

"Fu Xi!!"

"Come, let me slay you!!"

With that earth-shattering roar, Supreme Laojun strode into the depths of Chaos, rushing toward Fu Xi's location while holding the Little Peach Spirit's corpse aloft!

As Sun Wukong and the others watched, the Old Lord's figure gradually vanished. Tremors emanated from the depths of Chaos, accompanied by the clang of weapons, the sounds of battle, and Fu Xi's furious roar:

"It was not my doing! It could only have been Taiyi! He wants to sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight!"

"Enough nonsense! Let me slay you!"

Immediately after, the aftershocks of the battle in the depths of Chaos turned into a great tide, sweeping toward them and causing the World-Crossing Treasure Raft to teeter on the brink of collapse!

"Go, now!"

Tang Monk was the first to snap back to his senses. He made a decisive call, ordering Sun Wukong to use the Ruyi Dog-Beating Stick as an oar and propel the World-Crossing Treasure Raft toward Purple Cloud Palace at full speed!

Whether by coincidence or not, the great tide of Chaos gave them a forceful push, causing the World-Crossing Treasure Raft's speed to skyrocket. In an instant, it had crossed half of Chaos; in the next, it was already near Purple Cloud Palace!

"This must be..."

Ben Bo'Erba stared at the terrifying sights in the depths of Chaos and spoke with a tremor in his voice:

"This must be the eightieth trial! Only the final trial, the final tribulation, remains... I think I see the shadow of Purple Cloud Palace!"

Tang Sanzang also stared at the grand sights in the depths of Chaos, trembling involuntarily as he witnessed the annihilation of Great Daos, the shattering of Years, and collapsing galaxies...

He took a deep breath.

"The battle is escalating! Wukong, speed up!"

"I know!"

Sun Wukong replied in a muffled voice, his mind in a daze. He was still a bit stunned. 'That old ghost... was far beyond anything I could have imagined.'

The World-Crossing Treasure Raft drifted for an unknown amount of time. By the time the depths of Chaos had completely collapsed, revealing a scene of total annihilation, they had finally arrived before Purple Cloud Palace!

"The True Scripture is inside!"

Tang Monk, recalling his previous journey to the Western Celestial Realm, picked up the Purple Gold Alms Bowl, ready to hand it to the gatekeeper at any moment.

They disembarked from the World-Crossing Treasure Raft, carrying it as they approached Purple Cloud Palace and knocked lightly on the Daoist Palace's main gate.

DONG!

After just one knock, Purple Cloud Palace swung open silently. The group walked inside, with Sun Wukong once again taking the lead, each of them feeling apprehensive.

Sun Wukong, in particular, felt a sense of nervous excitement, like returning home after a long absence. His heart pounded wildly.

"That's..."

The five people and one horse, dragging the World-Crossing Treasure Raft, stood inside the majestic Purple Cloud Palace. Looking up, they saw an exquisitely beautiful woman sitting beside a First Patriarch of Buddhism dressed in a Buddha Robe. She was smiling.

"The final piece is in place. Purple Cloud, you may now perform the Integration Dao."

Sun Wukong could finally hold back no longer. With tears welling in his eyes, he cried out:

"Master!!"

Tang Monk, Zhu Wuneng, and the others were all stunned. 'Ma... Master??'

The Purple Cloud Palace Master glanced sideways at the Sun Monkey, wanting to speak but unable to say a word.

Eighty-four thousand Fu Xis were residing within his body, which was now under their complete control. Unless the Eight Trigrams Furnace opened and his True Form of Transcendence synchronized with him, Lu Xuan couldn't control this body at all!

'Houtu' glanced indifferently at the scripture pilgrims, not bothering with them. 'The grand scheme is about to be settled...'

She looked back at Lu Xuan and said softly:

"Fellow Daoist Purple Cloud, if you do not perform the Integration Dao now, then when?"

The Purple Cloud Palace Master was forced to put his palms together. The eighty-four thousand Fu Xis inside him exerted their power simultaneously. He began to glow, to approach eighty-four thousand Daos, to merge with eighty-four thousand Daos...

This Integration Dao was not Lu Xuan's Realm of Unity. To enter the Realm of Unity, one needed to occupy eighteen Great Daos as a catalyst, but he had only occupied seventeen. He was still one short.

Lu Xuan could feel himself losing control of this incarnation, the Purple Cloud Palace Master, bit by bit. He fought the urge to open the Eight Trigrams Furnace and focused his thoughts on his Supreme Laojun incarnation.

'Taiyi, oh Taiyi, is this what you wanted to see?'

.........

「In the depths of Chaos.」

Taiyi frowned slightly.

'How did it go so smoothly? Well, that's fine too...'

A playful smile appeared on his face.

"Xiaoxuan, oh Xiaoxuan, right now even I might not be a match for Fu Xi, let alone you. The curtain has been raised. Everything is under my control... Next, Shangqing will fight to the death to protect your Dao."

Taiyi's smile widened even further, and he muttered to himself:

"Once you obtain the position of Shangqing and unite The Three Pristine Ones, you will return to my body. You and I will become one, everything will be perfected, and I will be able to..."

"...take a single step into Transcendence."

He flicked his sleeve, slowly sat down cross-legged, and watched quietly, like a fisherman waiting to reel in his catch.

.........

「Celestial Realm.」

'Haotian' slowly approached Douluo Palace but didn't go inside in the end. He just stared at it quietly.

Inside Douluo Palace, the Golden Horned and Silver Horned were still fanning the great fire. Lu Jianxue sat cross-legged to the side, also staring quietly at the Eight Trigrams Furnace, an imperceptible smile on her face.

They were all Fu Xi.

Outside the Daoist Palace.

'Haotian' stood quietly, muttering to himself:

"The Goddess walked into the Eight Trigrams Furnace and still hasn't come out... This is an opportunity."

"If I devour the Goddess, the three great origins will be gathered. And of the six-part Transcendent Traits, the only one left will be Occupying the Future. As long as I obtain that too, I will be able to..."

"...take a single step into Transcendence!"

'Haotian's' gaze grew profound. He glanced sideways and said:

"We wait for an opportunity."

"Agreed."

'Amitabha', 'Buddha Mother', and 'Bodhi' responded in unison.

.........

「In the depths of Chaos.」

Lu Xuan, in his Supreme Laojun form, was still locked in a deathmatch with Fu Xi.

To be precise, he was being completely overpowered, covered in wounds, and on the verge of death!

"Come!"

Lu Xuan brandished the Supreme Duster. With a thunderous cry, [Old Master], [Taiqing the Lord of Tao and Virtue], and [Old Nong] all strode forward.

[Supreme Profound Clarity], [Nine Nether], [Hongjun Daoist], and [Profound Yellow Emperor] followed close behind, arriving as well!

"Hm?"

Fu Xi whipped his head around to stare at [Hongjun Daoist], a look of pleasant surprise on his face.

He chuckled.

"To wear out iron shoes in a fruitless search, only to find it by chance without any effort!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Fu Xi erupted with power. He was no longer playing around; for the first time, he got serious!

All of Lu Xuan's selves—except for his true form, the four Primordial forms, and the Daoist Ancestor—merged into one, creating a magnificent aura and displaying supreme might!

However, with just a single, light palm strike from Fu Xi, Lu Xuan was nearly shattered, on the verge of being torn to pieces.

"Cough, cough..."

He coughed up mouthfuls of blood, his expression solemn.

"Wa Huang's Qi and Wa Huang's God? After they merged, you should be... comparable to a Perfect Dao Fruit?"

At this moment, Fu Xi projected an aura of Perfection. Clad in golden robes, he stood naturally in Chaos, and all of creation seemed to bow before him.

"A Perfect Dao Fruit?"

A playful look appeared on his face.

"Right now, I am indeed equivalent to a Perfect Dao Fruit..."

As he spoke, Fu Xi struck again with another light palm strike. Lu Xuan was hit once more, and a hole was blown through his chest!

Coughing up great mouthfuls of blood, he used the full power of this body, stepped into the future, cloaked himself in the Great Will of Heaven and Earth, and wielded the Heaven-Opening Banner in his left hand, the Four Immortal Slaying Swords in his right, and stood upon the Taiji Diagram!

"Useless."

Fu Xi's smile was as radiant as a blooming flower. He pointed a finger like a rainbow, piercing through all future possibilities, knocking the Heaven and Earth Profound Yellow Exquisite Pagoda aside and blasting away half of Lu Xuan's head!

Immediately after, Fu Xi grabbed the merged form of Lu Xuan with both hands and, as if tearing a rag doll, ripped him apart with a gentle tug.

K-CHAK!

Lu Xuan was torn to pieces. Hongjun Daoist fell out of the merged state and was seized by Fu Xi.

"Occupying the Future..."

Fu Xi smiled as he held Hongjun Daoist, extracting the Transcendent Trait of [Occupying the Future] from his body, bit by bit!

With this, of the three origins, Fu Xi now possessed two.

And of the six traits, he had now obtained them all.

.........

「Purple Cloud Palace.」

Xiaohuo'Er suddenly appeared, silent and unnoticed.

Everyone—whether it was Sun Wukong, Tang Sanzang, or the smiling 'Houtu'—subconsciously ignored it.

They saw it with their eyes, but it failed to register in their minds.

Xiaohuo'Er walked over silently and gave a forceful push.

"Go!"

The World-Crossing Treasure Raft—or rather, the Six Paths of Reincarnation—crashed toward the Purple Cloud Palace Master.

To be precise, it crashed toward the [Western Pure Land] in the Purple Cloud Palace Master's hands.