“Li Hao...” Number Two shifted uncomfortably when it saw that the young man was lost in thought, staring at the cat. “What are you looking at me for?”

“I’m wondering if the senior will be able to come back to life after you’re beaten to death.”

...just listen to yourself!

Number Two yowled with outrage.

I work so hard and carefully for you when I’m a cat that only sleeps. Now I do everything for you, and you want to beat me to death! Are you even human??

“Senior, the fake is real and the truth is false,” Li Hao laughed. “Who can say that the past is fake and illusory? Is the senior really a copy of the Ash Emperor?”

What do you mean?

Number Two didn’t really want to explore this topic as it was an uncomfortable notion. No one... no cat wished to be the copy of another. Even if it didn’t dislike Big Cat and Big Cat was very good and respectful to it...

Everyone spoke of Number Two being the past self of Big Cat when they mentioned the cat.

“Senior, since you are the past of the Ash Emperor, why can’t you be the past of anyone else? What is the difference between what is real and fake?

“Was the senior the only one in that plot of space back then? Weren’t there a lot of other existences? Were those existences part of a greater whole, or were they independent of each other?”

The cat blinked and looked at Li Hao.

“If I’m to describe it, that plot of space was a road!” said Li Hao. “It was a road that imitated and copied, one that bridged the real and fake. Senior Number Two might be the past of any person and you might be able to imitate anyone. That makes you a dao spirit. You are not a copy of anyone!

“Perhaps the core of the senior’s existence is a replica of the great dao!”

The young man had never considered these notions before, but he’d seen the future today, as well as the white fur ball assimilating into great dao. It’d brought several new ideas to mind. Was Number Two really a copy of Big Cat?

Was it really just Big Cat’s past?

Why couldn’t it be a new living being born of an entire great dao?

Dazed, Number Two stared at Li Hao. I am not a copy... I am... a dao spirit!

A spirit of the great dao?

I myself am dao!

At the same time... it was a bit lost. “How can a spirit be born from the great dao?”

It was possible for weapons to form spirits and geographical features to produce spirits, and even worlds to birth spirits from the heavenly will. But a spirit from the great dao?

That’d never been heard of before!

Wasn’t the great dao an independent construct?

Li Hao, however, was growing more excited as he thought things through.

“And why not? Swords can produce spirits, mountains and rivers can produce spirits. Anything can produce a spirit when nurtured for long enough! It doesn’t mean that a spirit has become part of it.

“For example, the sword seal, sword tree, and sword stone have all become spirits! Their master, the Sword Sovereign, nurtured them all along. He infused them with his thoughts and soul, which naturally gave rise to a spirit in them!

“As for the senior...” Li Hao thought it over. “If the senior is a unique avenue of dao that’s resided with the War Sovereign all this time, then might you see a spirit of your own after being nurtured by him for a long period of time? You would be infused with some of his spirit too.

“The senior is immensely knowledgeable and, in my eyes, rivals any powerhouse. How do you know so much? Is that not from the War Sovereign?”

Number Two stared at Li Hao for a very long period of time.

“Alright, let’s say if you’re correct and I am not a copy of Big Cat. I am... a dao spirit. But I am only seventh rank. I have nothing to do with the danger that you’re about to encounter, right? Shouldn’t you be focused on how to resolve that?”

You didn’t even greet the person from the future!

“There’s no rush! We still have a month!” Li Hao grinned radiantly. “If Senior Number Two is a kind of illusory being, a spirit of a great dao that was copied from another, then... can you copy me?”

“What?” Number Two blinked.

“Can Senior Number Two copy me and... become me?”

You want me to pose as you? I’m only seventh rank. Wait, so are you. Well, even if I can do it, that still doesn’t change our battle strength.

“Senior Number Two, can you replicate thousands of me?”

What are you trying to get at?? The cat was well and truly confused.

“I’m saying that my strength is run-of-the-mill when I wield a thousand worlds,” Li Hao said excitedly. “But if Senior Number Two can turn all Silver Moon cultivators into me, to the point in which real and fake are hard to tell apart...

“Then there will be no need to go to the past and future. They will be my past and future, they will be my replicas. If I become one with them, will that push me infinitely upward?

“The dao of Thunder World can be converted to my dao. Fog Mountain’s dao can be my dao. The dao chess’ dao will be my dao...”

Number Two understood now, but found the idea incredulous. Li Hao thought too highly of it, didn’t he?

“Can I... do that? How is that possible??”

I don’t even know how!

“There were countless people in those fragments, including the War Sovereign, Ash Emperor, and Heavenly Dog,” explained Li Hao. “All of them are skilled at different daos, but why could all of them be depicted? Is that a kind of reprint of dao?

“If Senior Number Two views yourself as a copy of the Ash Emperor, does that enable you to utilize the Ash Emperor’s dao of devouring? Since you can emulate the Ash Emperor, why not emulate any other dao?”

“That’s impossible, I can’t do that...” The cat shook its head.

“Why don’t you give it a try, senior?” Li Hao coaxed. “If you succeed, that will prove that you are no copy and a real existence. You are a spirit of great dao! A true spirit and not a negligible copy of a cat...”

The young man suddenly blinked and fell silent. What if... the past could not be severed...

He’d always been in awe of the War Sovereign, that the man could sever the past. That didn’t seem like the feat of a sixth rank at all! Not even a ninth rank could accomplish it, no?

Li Hao had carried some hopes and dreams all this time, that if he could do the same, he would be able to fully revive some people.

But today... he lost himself in thought.

If Number Two was just the spirit of great dao, then didn’t that mean taking a section of the past was an impossible task?

The blurry figures in his mind became even more indistinct.

Li Hao quieted down. Were his parents and Little Yuan truly out of reach? Am I unable to resurrect you guys? I can’t fish you out of a fragment of the past, can I?

Number Two wasn’t an extraordinary being descended from the past. It was the spirit of the great dao, as was possibly the Ash Emperor. Perhaps the War Sovereign had long been studying this subject. That was why the two cats had been born.

Number Two seemed to understand Li Hao’s mood. If it wasn’t a cat of the past, then didn’t that mean the past couldn’t really arrive in reality?

“Li Hao, I really should be a copy of Big Cat...”

Li Hao came back to his senses and grinned at the cat. “The senior... really does know how to comfort someone.”

Number Two may have seen something, but the young man wasn’t someone so easily dejected.

“It’s fine! The War Sovereign was only sixth rank back in the day, whereas I will grow even stronger! I may not need to take a section of the past. Perhaps I can travel through it and capture a portion of the origin of those who’ve never cultivated!

“I might be able to find that... It’s the same as when I traveled through Silver Moon’s past and distilled a portion of other people’s origin. There’s no need for the senior to comfort me!”

Number Two twitched its tail and didn’t say anything else.

“So I’m not a copy?” It doubted itself.

“I don’t think so!” laughed Li Hao.

“That means if I can replicate some things, such as some dao strength, that will prove that I am a dao spirit!” the cat said cheerfully.

“Yep!”

“But I don’t know how to!” Number Two wilted. “I... only know how to devour things.”

“No... you’ve just subconsciously made yourself a copy of the Ash Emperor. That’s why you only know how to devour! Your dao is very unique, so perhaps it’ll require you to truly put yourself in the target’s shoes.

“For example, if you want to copy me, then you’ll have to observe my past, and understand me to the point in which you yourself believe that you are me. You’ll be able to copy me then!”

“So you mean for me to travel through your river of memories and observe your past, then put myself in those shoes?” Number Two understood. “Is that... appropriate?”

“What isn’t appropriate about it?” Li Hao laughed. “There’s nothing that needs to be hidden about my past. There’s nothing that cannot be spoken of! If this works, then we don’t need to borrow strength from anyone this time. We can do it ourselves!

“Not only that, but if we prove that the senior is a dao spirit, then...” Li Hao’s eyes twinkled. “Then Silver Moon cultivators are connate dao bodies with a strong connection to great dao! We are natural dao bodies. If this is a kind of cultivation method, then everyone can become dao!”

Some very interesting things might take place then.

Number Two didn’t quite understand what the young man spoke of, but it sounded very impressive!

Mmhmm, you make sense. Although I think that I really don’t know how, I also believe that I’m a dao spirit now. Yes! I’m a dao spirit! I’m not a copy of Big Cat. This makes me... very happy!

“Then are you going to make your river of memories available to me?” Number Two asked eagerly. “If I can turn myself into you and be nearly indistinguishable from the real thing, then does that mean I can meld my strength into you and vice versa?”

“Yes!”

“How interesting! I feel like I might be able to actually do this!” It wasn’t entirely certain, but Number Two was willing to believe so at this point. It was highly aware that this was just the young man’s speculations, that he didn’t really know so.

But what if it was true?

Then I would be really happy!

Li Hao looked on with anticipation as well. If he proved that Number Two was a dao spirit, that would completely change the game. It would also change his task of comprehending a myriad daos!

Another thought struck the young man. He’d been very confused why the War Sovereign had so easily grasped so many daos when he was at New Martial. But if he knew the dao of replication like Number Two did, and if it was his core dao...

Then he would be able to copy all daos, which would greatly decrease the difficulty in understanding them!

Li Hao’s eyes widened.

If that was the case, then that would explain how the War Sovereign could coalesce time so quickly. That further offered a reason why Number Two lived with the War Sovereign’s shadow for such a long time. That dao had copied a certain portion of time and repeated it over, and over again. It left the deepest imprint on the mind.

When Li Hao next looked at Number Two, he seemed to gaze upon unlimited riches. This was a cat of great fortune!