Chapter 945: The Light of the Ant

Fantasy turned into reality?

Xu Xiaoshou found the concept baffling yet intriguing; it sounded utterly wild, and there was a faint sense of familiarity to it.

From what the dean had said, he felt that Qiao Changzhi's path was somewhat similar to his own "Hua Hua Jing Tong."

Yet, between the two, there were fundamental differences.

"Hua Hua Jing Tong" essentially gave substance to his own "fantasies," adding a touch of spirituality to grant them some "independent consciousness."

But in the end, that "independent consciousness" was still rooted in his own mind.

It was like his painted clones, such as Ba Zun An and others—if Xu Xiaoshou didn't control them remotely, they were merely lifelike images freed from the confines of paper, still lifeless objects.

As for what the dean described of Qiao Changzhi's path, it leaned more toward the realm of Ling Zhen, or rather, Tian Ji Shu!

No matter how you looked at it, hearing all this made Xu Xiaoshou feel like he was back in his previous life, during the early days of his illness when he could still move around a bit, stubbornly grappling with those obscure physics and philosophy texts.

In that moment, his long-held impression of Qiao Changzhi as a carefree idler was completely overturned.

At that point, Ye Xiaotian didn't pause his explanation.

Seeing the thoughtful yet slightly bewildered look in Xu Xiaoshou's eyes, which reminded him of his own reaction when he first heard these concepts, Ye Xiaotian smiled and continued:

"According to your Qiao Changzhi, the 'map' of all things and phenomena can specifically manifest as the traceable web of heavenly principles, or even the Sheng Dao.

"'Patterns' are the individual rules within it, such as the fire element great dao and so on.

"Besides that, the growth rings of plants, the veins and meridians of the human body—all are 'maps' and 'patterns.' Altering these can change their essence."

He paused, his voice growing thunderous and resounding:

"The essence of refining spirits is to evolve one's own 'patterns' and 'maps.'

"The essence of all things growing is to self-evolve to higher-level 'patterns' and 'maps.'

"Once you master the ability to change these 'patterns' and 'maps,' even an ordinary person can become a saint overnight!"

As soon as these words were spoken, Xu Xiaoshou's pupils contracted sharply.

He suddenly realized why he had felt that strange sense of familiarity when hearing those abstract concepts earlier.

It wasn't "Hua Hua Jing Tong"!

What the dean described was actually the core of "Fang Zhi Jing Tong"!

Only then did Xu Xiaoshou recall the illusion he experienced when he first obtained "Fang Zhi Jing Tong."

In that illusion, everything in the world had hidden "threads," with the rules of heaven and earth manifesting as a vast net encompassing the continent, and fate like an invisible hand transcending it all.

When the hand moved,

The threads moved, the net moved,

And all things began to operate, like puppets controlled by a puppeteer.

If one mastered these concepts and gained the ability to alter the "threads" and the "net," they could become the one manipulating the hand of fate.

In Qiao Changzhi's concepts, "patterns" were equivalent to the "threads" in "Fang Zhi Jing Tong," while the "maps" formed by these "patterns" were like the "nets" woven from threads.

These "nets" could be small or large—small ones like the meridian maps of the human body or the growth ring patterns of plants, and large ones like the web of rules or the net of Sheng Dao.

"So, did Qiao Changzhi figure out the core of 'Fang Zhi Jing Tong' when he was young and dive headfirst into that path?"

Xu Xiaoshou was stunned beyond words.

This was absolutely mind-blowing!

Were all the people in the Sheng Gong on this level?

Back then, had the concept of Tian Ji Shu even taken shape? Did Qiao Changzhi have anyone leading the way?

Genius and madman were truly just a thought apart.

Ye Xiaotian seemed pleased with Xu Xiaoshou's reaction, as his own had been even more overwhelmed when he first heard these detailed explanations from Qiao Changzhi.

Smiling, he added some crucial information:

"At that time, Dao Qiong Cang hadn't yet become famous, and your Qiao Changzhi was researching these things alone, which slowed his cultivation progress and nearly got him expelled from the Sheng Gong.

"But he didn't give up and kept going, without even realizing that his ideas had transcended the scope of 'Ling Zhen.'

"Then, years later, among the Ten Venerables, Dao Qiong Cang rose to fame with 'Tian Ji Shu.'

"Only then did your Qiao Changzhi learn that what he had been forging ahead with alone was something the Sheng Shen Hall had gathered the world's geniuses to research tirelessly.

"That's the 'Dao Department,' and your Qiao Changzhi's concepts were essentially the prototype of 'Tian Ji Shu'!"

This is freaking insane... At that moment, Xu Xiaoshou's mind was filled with utter shock.

One person equaling the entire Dao Department?

Is this what a Sheng Gong-level genius is like?

"What about his research results?" Xu Xiaoshou asked, thinking that since Dao Qiong Cang had become famous with Tian Ji Shu, Qiao Changzhi couldn't have stayed stuck at the Wang Zuo-level Ling Zhen Master all those years, right?

"He failed."

Ye Xiaotian said with a tinge of regret, then quickly shifted his tone:

"But that's our conclusion. Your Qiao Changzhi is stubborn and believes his research operates on a higher conceptual level than 'Tian Ji Shu,' so it's not really a 'failure.'

"He also acknowledges Dao Qiong Cang's genius—the 'Tian Ji Puppets' the latter created are products on the same conceptual level, something like artificial beings.

"So, he's never given up on researching 'Tian Ji Puppets,' but he looks down on Tian Ji Shu itself.

"Furthermore, he thinks that apart from the original Tian Ji Puppets, everything Dao Qiong Cang developed afterward is just a product of 'Tian Ji Shu,' and on a conceptual level, it's beneath him."

At this, Ye Xiaotian glanced toward the spot in Xu Xiaoshou's arms where A Jie was, and said: "As a result, for decades, your Qiao Changzhi's sole research subject has been A Jie."

Xu Xiaoshou fell silent after hearing this.

The dean's words far exceeded his expectations.

He couldn't comprehend that the elder who had been lounging in the Ling Shi Cabinet, snoring away and only trading intelligence for pocket money, had such grand pursuits all along.

I've been so shallow; this world is full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers... Xu Xiaoshou felt a momentary shame.

"Isn't it foolish? He actually looks down on 'Tian Ji Shu,' thinking it's essentially no different from Ling Zhen—one deals with the earth, the other with the heavens, but 'earth' and 'heavens' are just on the same level." Ye Xiaotian shrugged, speaking with a hint of helplessness.

It was clear he had once advised Qiao Changzhi to seriously study Tian Ji Shu, as that might lead to another Dao Qiong Cang in the world.

But Xu Xiaoshou didn't agree.

From the dean's description, Qiao Changzhi's ideas were too similar to "Fang Zhi Jing Tong."

If that was the case, it was perfectly normal for Qiao Changzhi to look down on Tian Ji Shu.

Because in "Fang Zhi Jing Tong," Tian Ji Shu was merely a part of the foundational knowledge for "textile of the heavens."

If someone truly had grand ambitions, they should aim for "textile of the heavens and earth," or even "textile of the world," rather than just "textile of the heavens."

But saying that was one thing; Xu Xiaoshou knew the hardships involved.

It was like the path of ancient sword cultivation...

If you said you wanted to learn "Huan Jian Shu," people might think you could possibly succeed, since that path, difficult as it was, had been walked before.

But if you claimed you'd master the "nine great sword arts" and started practicing all nine from the beginning, how could you achieve results in the short term?

Compared to the endless sword path, decades of study were barely a blink.

To master three thousand sword arts, unless you were a reborn Ba Zun An, a cheat-like prodigy, no one would believe you'd accomplish anything if you tried that.

Qiao Changzhi's path was even more unique.

Even for Ba Zun An, when pursuing ancient sword cultivation, there were predecessors to guide the way, with clear targets like Mei Ji Ren, You Tu, or the Sword God Gu Lou Ying.

But Qiao Changzhi's ideas...

At least, aside from his own "Fang Zhi Jing Tong," Xu Xiaoshou had never seen anyone attempt this road.

He hadn't even heard of it—not in legends or anywhere!

"Madman..." Xu Xiaoshou murmured.

Ye Xiaotian nodded in agreement, clearly sharing the sentiment.

Wait... At that moment, Xu Xiaoshou sharply detected a slight inconsistency in the dean's words.

Dao Qiong Cang was undoubtedly a genius; he'd developed the original Tian Ji Puppets and even earned Qiao Changzhi's recognition as a "high-level product."

From that, it was evident Dao Qiong Cang's conceptual realm went beyond just "Tian Ji Shu," or he couldn't have created the original Tian Ji Puppets.

So, in another sense, Dao Qiong Cang's path might be on the same level as Qiao Changzhi's, achieving similar results through different means.

But why was there only one attempt at the original Tian Ji Puppets?

Something like that "high-level product" should have been perfected at all costs—the Sheng Shen Hall surely wasn't short on resources.

Why was it abandoned so quickly?

Did Dao Qiong Cang lack ambition and just give up?

Did he settle for the secondary option of Tian Ji Puppets that wouldn't go out of control but lacked true intelligence?

"It's not that he couldn't, but that he didn't dare..."

In an instant, Xu Xiaoshou felt like he'd touched on some world secret, but for some reason, his train of thought halted abruptly, unable to proceed.

Frowning, he had no choice but to set the idea aside.

He was experienced with this feeling.

If it wasn't an enemy interfering, like Yu Ling Di had, then it must be the Sheng Di will manipulating people's thinking habits, preventing deeper exploration.

"Does Qiao Changzhi often lose his memory, or something like that—forgetting his research results?"

Xu Xiaoshou asked abruptly.

Ye Xiaotian was lost in thought, having just finished his persuasive talk and wondering how to bring up taking back A Jie. Hearing this, his pupils shrank.

"How did you know?"

He blurted out, his expression turning serious as he sighed: "You really know quite a bit..."

"Heh." Xu Xiaoshou confirmed his suspicion, thinking to himself that this world was full of traps.

No wonder Qiao Changzhi and the others, as the four sons of the Sheng Gong, had fled to a remote place like Tian Sang Ling Gong to hide... The Sheng Gong was too close, with people watching from above!

No wonder, when he was apprenticed, Sang Lao had straightforwardly fed him that heretical "cage theory," without considering if the inexperienced him could understand it.

Some things only become clear when you step back and look.

"Let's not dwell on that."

The matter of Sheng Di will was something Ye Xiaotian understood but knew better than to mention.

He quickly moved past it and returned to the main topic.

"Xu Xiaoshou, I'm telling you all this not to boast about past achievements, but just to put your mind at ease.

"It's like how I trust your Qiao Changzhi, your master trusts me, and you trust your master.

"Now, your Qiao Changzhi's research is at a critical stage. That's why he asked me for the 'Sheng Yuan Crystal Stone.' He's only missing A Jie—you might not know this, but he never attempts anything without some confidence.

"Will you choose to trust him?"

Here it comes... Xu Xiaoshou thought this step was inevitable; the dean's persuasive talk was ultimately aimed at getting A Jie back.

He even gave Qiao Changzhi the Sheng Yuan Crystal Stone...

So, the dean really obtained the Sheng Yuan Crystal Stone. Hmm, how did he get it?

Huang Quan must have been after the Sheng Yuan Crystal Stone, or perhaps after the dean himself—just like he was after me back then, since the dean is so outstanding...

As for A Jie, should he hand it over?

Xu Xiaoshou felt irritated, his thoughts a jumbled mess.

He had to admit, Ye Xiaotian's words had swayed him somewhat.

If Qiao Changzhi were just an ordinary Ling Zhen Master at Tian Sang Ling Gong, Xu Xiaoshou would never give up A Jie.

But knowing Qiao Changzhi's true background and that his talent might surpass even the dean's or Sang Lao's—potentially rivaling Dao Qiong Cang on a different path—Xu Xiaoshou truly hesitated.

Perhaps Qiao Changzhi was the only one in the world who could heal A Jie.

But thinking about the risks...

No matter how high Qiao Changzhi's theoretical realm was, his practical experience was only at the Wang Zuo-level Ling Zhen Master.

And for putting his highest theories into practice, he had failed dozens of times over the years.

How could I—how dare I—hand you over to him... Xu Xiaoshou clutched A Jie, torn with indecision.

Ye Xiaotian took in the scene without judgment. He clasped his hands behind his back and slowly drifted to the edge of the cliff.

Facing the howling winds and the sea of clouds, gazing at the vast expanse of heaven and earth shrouded in mist, Ye Xiaotian was silent for a long time before speaking in a calm, profound tone:

"Every person who hasn't yet shone their light is either still dreaming by day or has walked through the night with a candle, reaching the deepest, most exhausting darkness... What can crush them is the ultimate despair of that darkness, and what can save them is often the first ray of dawn."