Go!

"Maybe I should just forget it. After all, I didn't obtain the True Phoenix Blood Essence. At worst, I can spend a few more days tempering my Fleshly Body Inscription."

Bai Ze pondered inwardly when the image on the Fate Compass suddenly changed.

Countless silver grains of sand leaped about, and the previous three people and one bird vanished.

In their place appeared a four-legged beast with twin horns on its head, hiding within a cave.

He could naturally tell that the four-legged beast was himself, except he had been beaten so badly that he could no longer maintain his Concealment Divine Ability.

More than half of his body had vanished, and he was hiding in the cave to heal his wounds.

Outside the cave, a great bird was constantly searching for his trail.

And after learning that the great bird outside was hunting for him, his severely injured self, having reverted to his true form, spat out a stream of flames...

Self-immolation?!

Fuck, why the hell would I immolate myself?!

Just as Bai Ze was utterly stunned, the flames dispersed, and his true form vanished, replaced by a...

Egg?!

Bai Ze's eyes widened in shock. He said in disbelief, "I-I was beaten back into my mother's womb?"

"No! I don't have that kind of ability. I may be an innate divine being, but if I die, then I truly die. There is absolutely no way I could turn into an egg again!"

Bai Ze watched scene after scene unfold in the image, his mind racing with analysis.

In the future, we encountered pursuit. Then Duobao, Guang Chengzi, and I became separated.

In the end, the Phoenix Clan beat me to the brink of death. To evade the True Phoenix's pursuit, I chose self-immolation... and then turned into an egg?

An egg!

Wasn't that fucking rebirth through fire—the Phoenix Clan's bloodline talent, nirvana?!!!

Having pieced everything together, Bai Ze's eyes shone brightly. Other than Tathagata of the Buddhist Sect, who knew this divine ability, only those with Phoenix Clan bloodlines possessed the Nirvana Divine Ability!

And at the end of the deduction, he relied on nirvana to evade pursuit.

Judging by the current time, there was no way he could have obtained it from the Buddhist Sect.

Didn't that mean he would definitely obtain the True Phoenix Blood Essence?

Perhaps he would even comprehend the Nirvana Divine Ability from it?

Bai Ze's heart pounded wildly. The Nirvana Divine Ability!

That was a true great divine ability!

And the foremost great divine ability for preserving one's life!

With the Nirvana Divine Ability, so long as he was not killed in a single blow, his true spirit extinguished and utterly returned to nothingness—

As long as even a trace of his true spirit remained, he could undergo nirvana once more and be reborn!

Moreover, during nirvana, he would be like one truly dead, without the slightest breath of life. No one could track him down at all!

Most importantly, after nirvana, his potential and strength would surely far surpass what they had been before!!!

For him, this divine ability would be one of the strongest means of preserving his life when facing the Dragon-Han Primordial Calamity, the Dao-Demon Conflict, the Witch-Demon Calamity, the Investiture of the Gods Calamity, and several other chaotic calamities in the future!

It might even become a vital means of escape amid the potential crisis that would erupt when the Huangzhong Plum ripened tens of thousands of years from now, as he fought to claim it!

Not to mention that besides the Huangzhong Plum, he would surely seek ways to acquire numerous rare spiritual roots in the future, such as the Ginseng Fruit Tree, Peach Tree, Bitter Bamboo, and Gourd Vine. By then, he would inevitably encounter all manner of life-and-death dangers!

This Nirvana Divine Ability would surely play a crucial role.

So no matter what, he could not give it up!

Having figured it all out, Bai Ze could not suppress the upward curl of his lips.

"Go!"

"I must go!"

"A great divine ability like this is already exceedingly difficult to obtain. For me, it is an opportunity that absolutely cannot be missed!"

Bai Ze immediately made his decision. Why had he cultivated so cautiously all this time?

Wasn't it because he feared death?

Now that he had a chance to obtain a life-preserving trump card, how could he possibly give it up?

"However, I must be especially cautious during this outing. Judging from the final image in the deduction, I will likely have to die once before obtaining this great divine ability.

If I make even the slightest mistake, I may truly die!

I won't even have the chance to undergo nirvana!"

After a brief burst of excitement, Bai Ze swiftly calmed down. This time was far more dangerous than anything he had encountered before!

Ideally, once I enter nirvana, someone should stand guard over me!

I absolutely cannot act rashly or let impulse dictate my actions!

But judging from the image, I was clearly separated from Duobao and Guang Chengzi in the end.

How can I have someone guard over me?

Bai Ze looked at the character-and-event analysis chart etched onto the stone wall, frowning in thought.

"Buzz~"

"Fellow Daoist, please halt. Bai Ze is dead; if you need anything, burn paper offerings."

Outside the cave abode, Duobao and Guang Chengzi exchanged exceptionally strange looks upon hearing the message.

"What kind of mischief is Brother Bai Ze up to now?"

Guang Chengzi shook his head, somewhat uncertain. "Perhaps... he has not yet emerged from seclusion?

When you sent him a voice transmission earlier, did he reply?"

"He did! Just yesterday, he said he would come out on time!"

Duobao said with a baffled expression.

Inside the cave abode, in a secret chamber three thousand feet underground, Bai Ze heard Duobao and Guang Chengzi's voices from outside. He stopped pondering and headed out.

This was a warning sound-recording formation he had set up. Once someone triggered it, he could sense it from here.

When the formation opened, the two entered the abode. Duobao looked around, glancing left and right, before finally turning to Bai Ze.

"Brother, what have you been doing? Why did you take so long to open up?"

Bai Ze smiled. Naturally, he could not reveal the truth, so he answered vaguely.

"I happened to gain some insight, and before I knew it, I had entered meditation."

Duobao raised a brow at that, slung an arm around Bai Ze's neck, and grinned.

"Did little brother gain some insight into Spatial Divine Ability?"

Bai Ze shook his head with a bitter smile. "This time, I only gained some insight into my cultivation. I will strive to gain enlightenment in Spatial Divine Ability next time."

"Then you'd better hurry, little brother!"

Duobao laughed as he patted Bai Ze's shoulder.

Bai Ze could only nod helplessly.

Guang Chengzi, standing to one side, frowned slightly and pulled Duobao away.

"This is your own divine ability. You refuse to comprehend it yourself and instead ask Junior Brother Bai Ze to comprehend it for you. How can you be so lazy!"

Duobao shrugged, speaking brazenly without feeling the slightest shame.

"It's not that I want to slack off. I simply can't compare to Brother Bai Ze.

I also want to gain enlightenment whenever I please, but who knows what's going on? For Brother Bai Ze, enlightenment is as easy as eating and drinking.

For me, it might not happen even once in several hundred years.

I truly can't compare!"

Guang Chengzi was thoroughly speechless upon hearing that. "Isn't that just your excuse for slacking off and reaping what is already prepared!

Look at yourself. For the past three hundred years, you've spent every day loafing around and wandering aimlessly.

If you could just cultivate with peace of mind like Junior Brother Bai Ze, it would be impossible for you to fail to gain enlightenment!"

Duobao immediately protested, "What are you saying, Senior Brother? I've been doing great things these past three hundred years. How can you call that loafing around!

Besides, given my relationship with Brother Bai Ze, isn't what's his mine? And isn't what's mine his?

Why draw such a clear distinction?"

As he spoke, he wrapped an arm around Bai Ze and asked, "Isn't that right, little brother?"

Bai Ze felt helpless as he looked at this living treasure of a Duobao. He could only smile and nod. "Yes, yes, Elder Brother is absolutely right!"

"See! Exactly!" Duobao beamed the moment Bai Ze agreed, then provocatively raised his brows at Guang Chengzi.

Guang Chengzi was rendered speechless by the sight.