Chapter 1181: Time and Space Indestructible

While the battle between Xu Qing and Xinghuanzi was ongoing in the Fifth Layer of the Immortal Palace World, outside the Immortal Palace, beyond the western part of the Fifth Star-Ring, at the apex of the Eastern Starfield, stood a million towering spires.

From a distance, they stretched endlessly. Each spire shimmered with starlight, and their arrangement seemed to correspond to the major stars in the cosmos. Iron chains, symbolizing order, connected them to one another.

At the very center of these million spires, a tower stood taller than all the others, its starlight brilliantly illuminating the sky. This was one of the Main Star-Ring Towers.

Inside the tower, an old man in a Daoist robe stood with his hands behind his back, gazing westward.

The old man exuded an ethereal aura, his white hair swaying in the breeze, and his eyes seemed to hold spinning universes. He was none other than the Tower Master of the Star-Ring Tower! He was the Guardian Envoy for the entire eastern region, holding the rank of a Lower Immortal! He was also... Xinghuanzi's master!

"Xinghuanzi's destiny faces a tribulation of suppression!""This tribulation didn't exist originally; it suddenly appeared a few years ago... like a sudden, overwhelming adversity, suppressing his life-force. If he overcomes this tribulation, he will embark on the path of a rising sun."

The old man whispered softly, raising his right hand to form a hand seal before him. After a moment, a strange light gleamed in his eyes. "Without a complete reversal within tribulation, how can prosperity emerge from adversity!""Xinghuanzi, face the tribulation!" The tribulation arrived!

Within the Fifth Layer of the Immortal Palace World, Xinghuanzi trembled violently, his internal organs churning. He spat out a mouthful of blood and retreated again, this time taking seven steps. With each step, starlight flared.

A tenacious resolve erupted within him.

Xinghuanzi, as the foremost prodigy of the Eastern Starfield and the acknowledged top genius of his generation within the entire Fifth Star-Ring, had led a life filled with brilliance. Whether it was his lineage or his cultivation, everything shone brightly like stars. He had even inherited the Star-Ring name of the Star-Ring Tower. Even Xie Lingzi and Zhou Zhengli were arranged by his master as whetstones and aids for his path. It could be said that before encountering Xu Qing, his fate, his momentum, and his path were all incredibly smooth, free from any major misfortunes. That is, until he met Xu Qing! He had consistently been suppressed.

This was true for both the maintenance of order in the Fourth Layer and the breakthrough in the Fifth Layer of the world. He even faintly felt a sense of predestination rising within his heart.

But at the very moment this sense of predestination emerged, a cold light flashed in Xinghuanzi's eyes. A sharp blade formed in his heart, severing thoughts, breaking through illusions, and shattering the fate of suppression! "My destiny, I control it myself!"

Xinghuanzi looked at Xu Qing, and the aura of a Quasi-Immortal surged within him. The might of a Great Emperor erupted from his body, and countless iron chains materialized around him. The intent of order, at this moment, was intensely powerful. He still had one move left.

It was a particle of law he had extracted from his own destiny at the moment he entered the Quasi-Immortal realm, during the process where his self-realized Principle of Order was ascending to Balance!

This law was named...

"Heavenly Principle!"

Xinghuanzi raised his right hand and grasped at the void. A celestial sound emanated from his mouth.

"Come!"

As this sound resonated, ripples spread across the Fifth Layer of the world, and Xu Qing's advancing footsteps paused. His eyes gleamed as he looked at Xinghuanzi. In that instant, Xu Qing felt that Xinghuanzi in front of him had become subtly different. If the previous Xinghuanzi had felt tangible to Xu Qing, the current one had become blurred.

Not only his current reality was blurred, but also the space-time around Xinghuanzi. Past, present, future, and all parallels blurred in that instant. A profound sense of crisis also rose in Xu Qing's heart at that moment. The source... came from Xinghuanzi's hand, currently grasping at the void!

In his hand, a single particle of dust conspicuously appeared! The moment he saw this floating particle, Xu Qing's mind reeled. He felt as though he was facing the entire cosmos—irresistible, unassailable!

The Quasi-Immortal Great Emperors observing the battle around them all showed changes in expression at that instant. "This is...""Heavenly Principle!!""What a Xinghuanzi!"

Above the Principle of Order was Balance. Mastering the Principle of Balance could sustain Xinghuanzi through his Quasi-Immortal path. However, breaking through the Quasi-Immortal realm and entering the Lower Immortal realm, Balance alone was not enough. This required Xinghuanzi to push the Principle of Order to its absolute peak. After Balance... came the Heavenly Principle!

But to comprehend his own Principle to the level of Heavenly Principle was an impossible feat for the current Xinghuanzi. He needed to explore it within the Quasi-Immortal realm, comprehending it during the process of his Immortal Embryo transforming into a true immortal, until it was finally complete, becoming a part of the Heavenly Principle itself! At that time, he would be a Lower Immortal! This was his future path. But at present, he couldn't achieve it.

However, as the First Star, he was also the only peerless prodigy of this generation among all stars who had foregone a Principle bestowed by elders, instead relying on his own comprehension. Therefore, even though the Heavenly Principle was difficult to grasp, at the moment of his breakthrough, he had extracted a single... particle of the Heavenly Principle!

This particle, this floating dust, was the source of Xu Qing's sense of crisis. Now, as Xinghuanzi waved his hand, this particle... suddenly descended! With supreme might, it bore down on Xu Qing! It was the Heavenly Principle particle, burying all, allowing no existence!

Xu Qing's pupils contracted. The sense of crisis in his heart became incredibly intense at that instant, and his body rapidly retreated. But it was too late. As the particle descended, it conspicuously appeared within Xu Qing's world, directly above him. It fell downwards. Though seemingly just a speck of dust, the weight it contained felt boundless. No matter how Xu Qing resisted, he couldn't affect it in the slightest.

In an instant, his mind thrummed, his physical body couldn't bear it and was on the verge of shattering. His soul likewise developed cracks as the particle descended. Xu Qing's breathing grew ragged. The sensation of death completely erupted within his heart, engulfing everything like a tidal wave. But there was no time to think; as his body recoiled, he directly exited the Fifth Layer of the world, leaving the Immortal Palace.

When he reappeared, he was already on the Immortal's Fall Plain outside the Immortal Palace, but... the floating particle was still there. Bound by destiny, it continued its descent. Xu Qing's physical body could no longer withstand it and finally collapsed at this moment. His soul scattered, carrying his own Principle, and sped across the Immortal's Fall Plain with all its might. But under the Heavenly Principle, all ceased.

The next breath... Xu Qing's soul shattered. Before dissipating, a bitter feeling welled up in his heart. He thought of his life, of how he hadn't had a smooth journey in the Fourth Layer of the Immortal Palace, yet he had ultimately succeeded in maintaining order by working with Xinghuanzi. He had earned the qualification to enter the Fifth Layer of the world. But facing the opportunities of this Fifth Layer, he still had to engage in a final battle with Xinghuanzi, who he considered a friend. This was fate. Xu Qing sighed softly and faded away. The space-time he inhabited also shattered, ultimately collapsing as if erased.

However, outside this collapsing space-time, it was still the Fifth Layer of the Immortal Palace World, and another Xu Qing was retreating. Above him, a particle of dust was also descending. Ultimately... his body and spirit were annihilated.

Yet, the battle continued, because a third Xu Qing was also retreating. These scenes unfolded before the eyes of the observing Quasi-Immortal Great Emperors, and their expressions grew strange. "This person... possesses the Principle of Space-Time!""That is the law manifested when the Principle of Space-Time reaches a higher level.""Using bodies from other space-times to serve as substitutes for the true body in the current reality!"

In their view, the moment Xinghuanzi's Heavenly Principle particle descended, massive space-time fluctuations conspicuously appeared around Xu Qing's retreating body, followed by the emergence of one space-time after another. These space-times were used to wear down the Heavenly Principle particle. In the blink of an eye, three space-times collapsed. Then, seven more space-times collapsed. Followed by another twelve space-times collapsing... And amidst the destruction of these space-times, the Heavenly Principle particle gradually lightened and slowly blurred, until finally, after a total of forty-six space-times were obliterated... the particle ultimately turned into ashes.

The remaining space-times shimmered at this moment. From one of them, Xu Qing looked up, gazing at Xinghuanzi, a strange light in his eyes. "What a Heavenly Principle..."

His heart stirred.

Xinghuanzi felt bitter. He looked at Xu Qing, who had just spoken, then shifted his gaze to the surroundings. Space-time rippled there, boundless and endless. He didn't know how many space-times existed, nor Xu Qing's limits. It was even difficult to discern whether the one speaking to him at that moment was a version from another space-time or his true body in the current reality.

This was the Principle of Parallels. The method of Universal Merging and Cosmic Stacking allowed one to use a self from another space-time as a substitute when facing lethal force. Theoretically, it was infinite. However, Xu Qing currently had his own limits. Due to his Immortal Embryo and his grasp of the Principle, his current limit was fifty-four! And with this substitution method, because the selves from other space-times were integrated with his true body in the current reality, a primary-secondary distinction now existed. Therefore, the death of a self from another space-time, while having some impact on his true body in the current reality, was bearable and would not affect his foundation. Therefore, to truly kill Xu Qing, one would need to... obliterate all the space-times he could control and slay all the space-time selves within them! Only then could he be extinguished!

"I wonder if slaying you would separate that particle of Heavenly Principle from your life..." Xu Qing slowly spoke, his voice emanating from within space-time.

He then raised his hand. The next instant, monstrous sword intent flashed from his grasp, soaring skyward before conspicuously transforming into an... Emperor's Sword! And it wasn't just one space-time; at that moment, the Xu Qings in all the surrounding space-times simultaneously raised their hands and drew out Emperor's Swords. All descended! It was impossible to distinguish which was the current reality, or which of these sword energies possessed true power and which were merely illusions.

These sword energies, each breaking through their respective space-times, converged in the Fifth Layer of the world, forming a devastating killing sword that shocked all present, heading straight for Xinghuanzi. In an instant, it sliced through his body! After piercing him, the residual force struck the void, leaving a horrifying crack there.

Xinghuanzi's body trembled, and his physical form visibly... disintegrated, until it became dust. Subsequently, space-times one by one dissipated, including the Xu Qing who had previously spoken, all becoming blurred.

Amidst this blurring, Xu Qing's true body from the current reality stepped out from a deeper space-time, standing at the place where Xinghuanzi had perished. His gaze sharpened. He didn't feel an increase in Quasi-Immortal Authority. "Not dead?"

Xu Qing narrowed his eyes, though he wasn't particularly surprised. The opponent was, after all, the First Star, and his cultivation had already broken through. Naturally, he possessed some incredible life-saving techniques. "But that particle of Heavenly Principle..."

Xu Qing desired it. So he raised his hand and grasped. Under the enhancement of space-time, ripples appeared at the spot where Xinghuanzi had died. Finally, a wisp of aura flew out and landed in Xu Qing's hand. This was the opponent's trace. After sensing it in his palm, a cold light flashed in Xu Qing's eyes. "Not far!"