Secret Buyer

Chapter 556 - 344: Hunting the World Venerate? Celestial Emperor’s Projection (4)

And that ancient being had already walked out of the mist, standing right in front of Zhang Fusheng.

The ancient being was of immeasurable height, wearing a half Taoist robe, a half Taoist temple atop his head, even the whisk in his hand was half-length.

Zhang Fusheng licked his dry lips, staring at this terrifying existence of unknown rank.

The half Taoist robe was stained with filth, while the other half of the body without the robe was riddled with scars, even oozing blood.

"Not speaking?"

The ancient being calmly questioned.

Zhang Fusheng’s body was tense, his expression extremely solemn, yet suddenly relaxed with a smile.

"Half a Taoist robe, half a Taoist temple, half a whisk..."

He exhaled, thirty-six colors of light drifted behind him, the Primordial Cloud slowly flowing:

"I wonder what your name is?"

"Which one of the Taoists are you?"

The ancient being did not answer, quietly gazing at the Fuli Great True Man before him, as though trying to see through and comprehend him.

Moments passed.

He spoke lightly:

"So it’s you..."

Zhang Fusheng raised an eyebrow:

"You know me?"

"How could I not recognize you?"

The ancient being chuckled lightly, chaos swirled in his eyes:

"Fuli’s Fruit Position, Primordial’s favor, along with the aura of Taiqing, Wa, and Shakyamuni Tathagata and several Taoist friends..."

"Why aren’t you staying well in the Other Shore World but running to the Celestial Capital?"

Zhang Fusheng’s heart chilled, the person in front of him addressed the Supremes as Taoist friends.

He calmed his thoughts, staring at the ancient being:

"Your plight seems better compared to Sun Monkey and the Supreme Saint Celestial Position... but I’m afraid it’s not much better."

As he spoke, Zhang Fusheng reached out and pointed at the chains on the ancient being,

those chains were entwined around him, the other ends were connected to the Six Paths of Reincarnation.

After a pause, Zhang Fusheng continued:

"In this way, it seems that Taoist friend is not the Supreme, but a Daluo? And ultimately, which Taoist deity are you to end up in such a predicament?"

The ancient being smiled softly:

"You should be a living being of the present world, why do you seem to understand the old world so well?"

Zhang Fusheng did not answer, instead said:

"One question, one answer. I act in this way, so ought you to do the same."

The ancient being gazed indifferently at Zhang Fusheng:

"Young one, how can you call me a Taoist friend? Is it because of the favor from The Three Pristine Ones and the Buddha?"

"Or do you think..."

"Is this poor Taoist truly bound here, unable to act, unable to leave?"

The chains shook, celestial might surged, crashing towards Zhang Fusheng like waves,

the latter’s breath halted, the operation of the Fuli body became arduous, and breath and heartbeat stopped abruptly.

Yet Zhang Fusheng was not startled, he remained calm, speaking in a deep voice:

"You bear heavy hostility... so what indeed caused you to end up like this?"

"Do you know who I am?" The ancient being counter-questioned.

Zhang Fusheng frankly shook his head:

"I cannot see."

On the ancient being’s face appeared a mocking smile, he spoke calmly:

"The true name from the old world is unreachable. Here, in this present world, in this era, I am the First Director of the Federation, Director of the Six Paths Department, as for why I have ended up here?"

The mocking expression on his face slowly faded, narrating calmly:

"I merely fought with The Three Pristine Ones and lost—though not completely."

Zhang Fusheng smiled:

"Bullshit."

The ancient being was stunned, evidently did not expect such vulgar words to come from this person’s mouth. After momentary silence, he said lightly:

"Indeed, what this poor Taoist said may seem a bit exaggerated."

Zhang Fusheng chuckled, sizing up the ancient being, observing his somewhat ethereal body,

keenly noticing in the wounds of this mysterious existence, those flowing radiances akin to moving glows.

Six Ding Divine Fire.

He furrowed his brows:

"I see many Six Ding Divine Fires rampaging within you, have you been refined by the Supreme?"

The ancient being squinted his eyes:

"You even recognize Six Ding Divine Fire? Indeed, Taoist Friend Taiqing favors you..."

After a brief pause, he spoke nonchalantly:

"But there is one thing you got wrong, it’s not that I was refined by Six Ding Divine Fire, it’s that I am being refined now."

Zhang Fusheng was taken aback, yet before he could speak, the ancient being continued:

"My body was once severed into two by Taoist Friend Taiqing, the body you see today is right in front of you."

"As for the past body?"

He sneered:

"It’s currently being refined in the Eight Trigrams Furnace within Douluo Palace, Taoist Friend Taiqing through this technique separated my two bodies, preventing Perfection, thus barring the proof of the Supreme—isolated from the Supreme."

Zhang Fusheng’s eyelids twitched wildly, Eight Trigrams Furnace in Douluo Palace?

He stared at the ancient being, feeling incredulous:

"Who are you to nearly prove the Supreme?"

"Prove the Supreme?"

The ancient being shook his head calmly:

"I never considered proving the Supreme, I have told you, I lost, yet also won. My initial plan was to have Taoist Friend Taiqing sever me into two bodies."

This mysterious existence seemed not to have spoken freely for many years, now delightedly sharing his ’achievements’ with Zhang Fusheng, his hands held behind his back.

"Many Daluo say that to oppose the Supreme, one must first prove the Supreme, and to prove the Supreme, one must first conform to the Supreme... nonsense."

He chuckled coldly, pointing at himself:

"This poor Taoist opposed Taiqing, when have I ever conformed to him?"

"What I sought was to be split into two, severing the connection with Taiqing. I then presented three choices before him."

"One, sever me, making his years of planning go down the drain."

"Two, watch me achieve the Supreme, likewise making years of planning go down the drain."

"Three, fulfill my wish, split me into two bodies, one for the past, one for the present, severing the past, returning the true self."

As he spoke, the ancient being raised his head, laughing wantonly:

"Thus, Taoist Friend Taiqing chose the third, fulfilled my wish—tell me, did this poor Taoist win?"

"Did I win against the Supreme once?"

Zhang Fusheng listened silently, shook his head silently.

He spoke with empathy:

"But how do you know that the choices you thought you gave Taiqing were not what Taiqing wanted you to give him?"

"How do you know that Taiqing’s original intention wasn’t to split you into two?"

His airy words resounded, like mighty bells, deafening.

The ancient being was momentarily stunned, firmly asserting:

"Impossible."

"Really impossible?"

Zhang Fusheng looked at him, already recognizing his identity—moments earlier, he went to the upper stream of time, saw creatures upstream.

He also visited the backside of the Divine Realm, saw the head of the Eastern Emperor.

After a sigh,

Zhang Fusheng spoke with empathy:

"A Supreme spoke with me moments ago, saying Taoist Friend Taiqing had intended to split you into two, having one body anchor the Six Paths here, while the past body would be in the Eight Trigrams Furnace, nurturing the Human Path."

"Think carefully."

"Taoist Friend Xuandu, think carefully once more."

Airy words like rolling thunder shook the ancient being into a stupor, yet he suddenly erupted in rage:

"I have severed the past, no longer Xuandu!"

"You! Brat! Are! Disturbing! My! Tao! Heart!"

The ancient being abruptly went insane, the chains trembled, the Six Paths roared, along with the entire space housing the Six Paths Prison and the entire Celestial Capital, all roared together!!

Zhang Fusheng merely pointed:

"Just look."

The sound of flowing water arose, a phantom river of time appeared behind him, upon which stood a grand palace, inside the palace sat a figure coughing violently.

That figure seemed to be suffering immense backlash and grave wounds.

The furious ancient being fell silent, staring at the projected phantom river of time, staring at the upstream of the river of time.

"Celestial Emperor?"

He asked in a deep voice.