Chapter 1129: True Self Emerges, Creating Time and Space

Chapter 1134: The True Self Emerges, Creating Time and Space!

"This is the Eight Extremities Aspect!"

In the void, Xu Qing opened his eyes. His physical body was above, and his soul rose from within the fragmented crystal painting. As it returned, a profound understanding permeated his mind.

He recalled the moment he first comprehended the Dao of the Eight Extremities years ago, when he saw a white-haired cultivator within time and space. That cultivator's Dao of the Eight Extremities differed from his own, yet their Five Elements were the same, and they had formed an Aspect body.

Now, the reincarnation of human lives first formed the essence of the Five Elements, and then this essence transformed into the Aspect of rules. Thus, the Five Extremities and Five Elements had been perfected.

The moment this thought surfaced in Xu Qing's mind, five Dao Aspect bodies suddenly emerged from the rippling void outside his physical form.

The first was an old man, dressed in official robes, holding an iron sword. His expression was stern, and his aura magnificent. Wealth, authority, and warfare converged upon him, forming a Metal destiny, transforming into the Metal Aspect.

This was Prime Minister Xu Jinhong!

Next was the second form, the merchant Xu Hong, clad in a wealthy landowner's robe, with a gentle expression. Around him swirled a black river, churning in all directions, creating an astonishing momentum. A Water destiny resided in him, forming the Water Aspect!

Then came the third form, the bandit Xu Shan, exuding a rough, wild demeanor, grinning broadly. He was dyed with the essence of mountains and forests, standing upon a giant tree, one hand pressed to his head, his eyes gleaming fiercely, his expression manic. A rich Wood destiny surged, rippling through the void, transforming into the Wood Aspect!

Finally, the fourth and fifth forms appeared successively.

The fourth form, the physician Xu Yu, held a volcano in his palm, from which world-ending flames ceaselessly erupted, enveloping his entire body. A Fire destiny converged, forming the Fire Aspect.

The fifth form, the commoner Xu Kun, his body seemingly composed of countless particles, like desert and dust. A strong sense of gravitas radiated from him, causing the void to tremble the moment he appeared. His Earth destiny served as a foundation, solidifying into the Earth Aspect.

At this moment, all five Eight Extremities Dao Aspects had appeared, each emanating a monstrous aura and radiating a pressure comparable to Xu Qing's true body.

Xu Qing turned to look, and the five Dao Aspects gazed back at him. A profound understanding arose in all their minds simultaneously.

"The Five Elements generate and overcome each other, thus forming a cycle of reincarnation."

"And reincarnation could become the Eighth Extremity..."

However, after a moment of contemplation, Xu Qing shook his head.

"Though reincarnation is profound, there is another Dao that encompasses and transcends it. That is the Eighth Extremity I originally decided upon!"

With determination in his eyes, Xu Qing abandoned the idea of taking reincarnation as his Dao. His gaze fell upon... the sixth and seventh fragments among the ten broken crystals.

They represented time and space!

His soul stirred and immediately darted towards these crystal fragments representing time and space. In an instant, it merged.

Indeed...

Reincarnation forms, myriad things are born, karma descends, time turns.

I am searching. I don't know what I search for. This seems to be my mission, for I am incomplete. Perhaps I exist, perhaps I do not.

I exist because, in this starry sky, in this world, in all things and among all beings, I am omnipresent. The eternal movement of all things, the continuity and sequential nature of change, are all proof of my existence, and the way I choose to reveal myself to beings. Therefore, I am like a river, flowing through all that is known and unknown. Flowing between multiple things and events. Flowing through the past, present, and future of all beings and myriad things; even stars and the universe require my impetus.

Whether night or day, reincarnation or karma, rules or laws, all are me. If I become still, all things cease. If I rise, epochs shift.

But similarly, I do not exist. For I can be felt, yet never truly seen, and in many states, I originate from subjective consciousness. I am considered a beginning, starting from an unknown instant, before which there was no "before." Therefore, I am believed to be non-existent and meaningless before this point. It is the appearance and existence of all things that brought me into being and gave me meaning.

Still others believe I am not a true rule existing within the universe, but merely a concept formed by the movement of all beings, a way to describe speed and slowness. Some even believe I am an illusion of sentient beings.

Thus, there are always those who try to judge whether I truly exist, to feel me, to explore me, to touch me. Yet no matter how they perceive me, whether I exist or not, I truly do not care. For their ultimate goal, without exception, is always control.

Consequently, I have been given many names: some call me 'time,' others 'moment,' some 'point'... so many. These are their appellations, not mine. I do not care.

And I have always been searching, searching for an existence of which I know nothing. I had believed this monotonous and endless search would reveal nothing else truly worthy of my attention. Until I met a few individuals, a few very special individuals.

They were powerful, powerful enough to truly perceive me, powerful enough to become my friends. Some would occasionally visit me to chat, holding a flower and asking if it was beautiful. Others would sit before me in a boat, sighing softly. Some would ask me about destiny. And one even wanted me to write him an IOU.

But the one who accompanied me most was a person who favored black clothes. In my long perception, he often sat before me, quietly lost in thought. He would watch with me all beings and myriad things, all infinitude. And at a certain point, he would raise his hand and ripple, affecting everything, causing it all to return to the past, to begin anew. Once, twice... countless times. I did not understand. But he told me he was resurrecting his wife. I offered my blessings.

Afterward, they all vanished. Only I continued to flow, without beginning or end, always searching. Until, I saw a butterfly. The butterfly said its name was Sangxiang.

In truth, the butterfly had appeared before, but I hadn't noticed. This time, however, the butterfly flew before me. It told me that an existence named Universe had been searching for time. That entity and I had met countless times, faced each other countless times, and missed each other countless times, until finally... it understood that it and I were originally one. I exist, it exists; I cease, it ceases.

Yet we were like water and ink, forever unable to meet. Neither could find the other. Only this butterfly, which could see both it and me, could become the catalyst for our encounter.

So, the butterfly asked me to alight upon it, for the Universe was also upon it. I chose to descend. At that instant... I finally saw the Universe. And the Universe saw me.

Indeed...

The ripples of time, the myriad beings multiply, Sangxiang arrives, the Universe appears.

Time and space, at this moment, intertwined, becoming complete in that instant. Thus, Time-Space was formed!

This is...

The Universe established, time begins, the true self emerges, creating Time-Space.

Xu Qing's consciousness awakened. The Eighth Extremity within him suddenly appeared! It generated a deafening roar, echoing astonishingly within his body. After a long while, Xu Qing opened his eyes.

The moment his eyes opened and closed, everything he saw was distorted and unclear. But after closing his eyes and perceiving with his mind, everything became crystal clear. In his thoughts, he could see the past, present, and future of all things, even their intrinsic qualities. Everything was transparent, fully revealed, from birth to death, from beginning to end.

Every being within the cycle of reincarnation now possessed countless forms, an overlap created by the convergence of time and space. Everything became transparent; no obstruction could conceal it. He could see intrinsic qualities, bones, souls, and reincarnation. Even items within storage spaces were perfectly clear.

It was like omniscience. He could even control the thoughts of beings, making them choose according to Xu Qing's needs. Furthermore, he could see the Time-Space formed by countless choices made by others.

Similar to destiny. This feeling was akin to observing a sketchbook from a higher dimension, a sketchbook that could be modified at will.

Accompanying this was the perception that any place could be reached with a single thought. Regardless of past or future, all times, all spaces, could be traversed in an instant. He was omnipotent.

The moment this perception surfaced in Xu Qing's mind, he raised his head, and his thoughts spread. Everything became transparent. He saw the fire outside the scroll, the cauldron, the small world he was in, the city beyond the small world, and even the Fifth Star Ring where the small world was located. Then, he saw all beings and myriad things. It was as if he could manipulate everything.

Just then, within the crimson auroral ripples in the sky, Xu Qing perceived twelve figures. They simultaneously appeared within the aurora, gazing towards him. And above them, Xu Qing saw eleven vast immortal palaces, each containing figures shining with brilliant light. Further up... was a supreme existence, sitting cross-legged, enshrouding the entire Fifth Star Ring.

Immediately after, a voice from the void spoke: "The Constitution is the root of immortals, the foundation of god-slaying. To wield the Constitution, one must first uphold it!"

The next instant, Xu Qing trembled. He felt an indescribable, terrifying power approaching from all directions, from the void, and from the entire thirty-six ascending star rings. It fell upon him. At this moment, Xu Qing truly understood why immortals, who should have been omnipotent, were no longer so in these ascending star rings. It was because: those who wield the Constitution must first uphold it!

And clearly, such a thing should not have happened to him so soon. The reason it did was that his Eighth Extremity, at the moment of its birth... also gave birth to a Constitution! His own Constitution! The Constitution of Time-Space.

Xu Qing understood. The next instant, he withdrew his gaze. The formation of the Eighth Extremity within him unleashed a power that could overturn mountains and seas, ceaselessly rumbling within Xu Qing, forming the Eighth Realm: The Time-Space Realm!

Meanwhile, in the Western Region, at the Dao Immortal Sect. In the herb garden, one of the two poisonous plants before the Poison Lord, which had previously withered, suddenly bloomed, instantly brought back to life from death, and in a flash, grew to its peak. Then, it detached itself and vanished without a trace before the Poison Lord. As for the other plant beside it, it withered at that moment. A strange light appeared in the Poison Lord's eyes, and his breathing became slightly more rapid.

"You are the karma I have been awaiting!"