Chapter 955: What Is the Point

On this day, twilight approached.

The Empress's ascension to godhood was an astonishing grand scheme involving multiple parties. It included the Empress's own rituals within the human race, Prince Ziqing's arrangements in the Devouring Heavens Domain, and the Sun, Moon, and Star Deities' plans for the future. It also encompassed the Sacred Land's stance. Furthermore, it involved entities who, though not physically present, had made deals with the Empress, such as the woman in wedding attire from the Ghost Cave.

Thus, the complexity of the process was immense, not to mention that amidst these numerous karmic connections, the Great Emperor's destiny was also intertwined! Throughout his life, the Sword-Wielding Great Emperor had slain countless deities and severely wounded even more. Therefore, upon foreseeing his imminent demise, many deities were naturally drawn by karmic ties! Consequently, the already multi-faceted situation became even more intricate! Its magnitude of upheaval was rarely seen in Wanggu!

It drew the gaze of all Wanggu, yet until this moment, the Sword-Wielding Great Emperor's fabled final sword strike had still not been unleashed. This sword seemed to hang over everyone's heads; multiple powerful clans and numerous deities were apprehensive, with none willing to become the unfortunate victim of this strike. Therefore, the formidable Yu Liuchen ultimately chose to retreat! He appeared to be blocked by the Immortal Inquiring Bell, but fundamentally, his greatest concern was still the Sword-Wielding Great Emperor! He was unwilling to risk his life to test the waters!

However, if no one continued to probe, the ceremony was now nearing its end, and the Empress would soon succeed! At that point, for the Empress, who would have ascended to godhood at the peak of Dominance, along with the divine forms of the five Human Emperors, it would clearly be impossible to further ascertain the Sword-Wielding Great Emperor's true state. Thus, at this moment, it came down to which party could least tolerate the Empress's ascension to godhood!

So, within the Human Race's imperial capital, while most commoners outside tensely watched the Empress on the sky-screen, on Jiuluo Street in the eastern district, from a bookstore that had been run by generations of the same family for many years, a soft sigh emanated!

Inside the shop, on this particular day, no one came to buy books! Only a few shop assistants sat on the threshold, gazing out and whispering to each other about the sky-screen. Behind them, at the shop's counter, the shopkeeper Zhao Youde, dressed in a yellow robe, closed the bamboo slips before him, raised his head, and a sigh escaped his lips.

Zhao Youde's appearance was unremarkable; his hair was already streaked with white, and as the wind blew into the shop and over him, it swayed like autumn reeds. Perhaps due to age, time had etched intersecting wrinkles on his face, yet it had also brought a clear, benevolent expression. His eyes were not bright but held a certain depth, though now they conveyed a hint of helplessness. "What's the point of all this!"

Zhao Youde was the seventeenth-generation shopkeeper of this bookstore, and also its owner. He lived here, residing in the shop's back courtyard. Aside from his wife's early passing due to illness, his life seemed to hold no regrets: his parents were still alive, his children were dutiful, and the shop's business was good. For a mortal, such a life was already sufficient! He particularly enjoyed reading ancient classics. Through reading and contemplation, he seemed to grasp many life philosophies, often using them to guide his own actions, and was eager to share this wisdom with those around him. His neighbors generally held him in high regard. And he cherished such a life! But today, he knew, it was all coming to an end.

So, with that sigh, he stepped out from behind the counter, hands clasped behind his back, his shoulders stooped. He cast a lingering glance at the bookstore, then shook his head and walked towards the main door. As he passed the threshold, the few assistants sitting there looked at him in surprise.

"Shopkeeper, it's crowded and chaotic outside, are you...?"

Zhao Youde paused, his gaze sweeping over the assistants, a nostalgic expression on his face. "Er Gouzi, you're looking more and more like your grandfather. And little Ant, you should read more in the future, understand? As for you two, your families have been with this shop for generations, so I'm giving it to you both!"

These words stunned the two assistants. They quickly stood up, about to say more, but in the next instant, their shopkeeper had vanished from the store!

On Jiuluo Street, under the setting sun, Zhao Youde's figure emerged from nothingness and walked towards the imperial capital. He sighed as he walked.

Zhao Youde sighed again. He loved this mortal realm, he loved the human race of this world. Over countless eons, he had operated this bookstore in various guises, interacting with human patrons, and forming many friendships across generations. He had thought life would continue this way! Even though the Sacred Land's era was over, there was no need for such rebellion!

Amidst his sigh, in the back courtyard of his bookstore, his parents, his children, all his family members – those who had appeared so vibrantly alive moments before – suddenly stiffened, then each let out a sigh identical to his own. Immediately after, their bodies blurred, dissipated, and transformed into points of silver light, merging into nothingness! They then appeared on Jiuluo Street, merging into Zhao Youde's body!

His stooped back slowly straightened! His aged face gradually grew younger! A terrifying cultivation power surged within him, ascending through Foundation Establishment, Nascent Soul, Reversion to Void, until it reached God-Incarnation, then Dominance, eventually stabilizing at the peak of Half-step Dominance, incredibly powerful, yet without revealing the slightest trace internally! Only his silhouette, bathed in the lingering glow of the setting sun, appeared exceptionally solitary.

He walked silently forward, reflecting on his life! He hailed from the Sacred Land and had descended upon Wanggu for a mission! This mission was to slay the Human Emperor Daoshi. After succeeding, he couldn't leave, so he had lain dormant among the human race for a very long time, never taking action again during that period. Always in hiding!

Because he was wary of the Sword-Wielding Great Emperor, Zhao Youde sighed again, taking a step forward. This single step bypassed the imperial capital, crossed the imperial palace, and landed on the Ancient Emperor Star. His target was the divine flame on the Ancient Emperor Star; he did not wish to fight the Empress, nor did he want to personally test the Sword-Wielding Great Emperor. Following his own beliefs, he merely wished to extinguish the divine flame!

His appearance was instantaneous and silent! There was no booming thunder, no vast upheaval, just like his perpetual concealment! The moment he materialized, he raised his hand. In the instant the Empress detected him, and as all parties suddenly looked over, his hand descended towards the divine flame, poised to extinguish it!

But just then, a calm voice echoed around Zhao Youde! "Shopkeeper Zhao, this flame cannot be extinguished!"

Accompanying the voice was a slender figure, clad in a purple robe, with long purple hair. His features were impossibly exquisite, like a masterpiece of creation. His eyebrows were long and strong, resembling the contours of distant mountains, and his eyes, in particular, were deep and wise. It was the Grand Preceptor!

"Prince Ziqing!"

He appeared before Zhao Youde, his back to the divine flame, yet even the flame could not overshadow his brilliance! Within the flames, he shone like a brilliant star, dazzling in the sky of Wanggu! A faint, seemingly eternal smile played on his slightly upturned lips. As he spoke gently, his right hand rose and swept forward!

Zhao Youde's raised hand could not descend, and the Grand Preceptor's appearance brought a sigh of relief to many human cultivators! Though the Grand Preceptor was enigmatic, it was precisely his mystery that seemed to contain infinite possibilities!

Xu Qing remained silent! He was not surprised by the other party's arrival. So he watched calmly! He had previously wanted to see Prince Ziqing's true strength!

Noticing Xu Qing's gaze, Prince Ziqing, who was facing Zhao Youde, shifted his eyes to Xu Qing, his smile becoming even gentler! "Little brother, did you receive the gift?"

Xu Qing remained expressionless!

Prince Ziqing smiled again, his gaze returning to Zhao Youde, and spoke softly! "I have seen your time."

As soon as these words were uttered, Zhao Youde's expression darkened! As a peak Half-step Dominator, he was a formidable power even within the Sacred Land! Among the human race on the Wanggu continent, he feared no one except the Empress and the Sword-Wielding Great Emperor. Yet, facing this Grand Preceptor now, he suddenly realized that his perception of this person had always been vague! And he had never noticed it before!

"Since little brother wishes to see, I shall be more thorough. Next, I will partition your time, making each segment independent!"

Ziqing continued speaking. As his words echoed, the void around Zhao Youde suddenly twisted. His life, his past, unfurled uncontrollably around him like a series of images! In these images, one could see the scene of him slaying Daoshi, all his concealed actions at the bookstore, and all his transformations as a family member, being both an ancestor and a descendant! His entire life on the Wanggu continent was thus revealed between heaven and earth!

Then, as his expression darkened, Prince Ziqing's right hand manipulated time. In a blink, countless past versions of Zhao Youde within those images, no matter what they were doing, suddenly lifted their heads. From their past, they looked towards the present, then all raised their feet and took a step forward! Heaven and earth rumbled, the firmament changed color, the aura of the Grand Dao descended, and the River of Time flowed forth from nothingness, spreading across the world!

Xu Qing's eyes flashed. This was not the first time he had seen the River of Time; back in the Purple Moon Great Domain, Third Grandma, who was skilled in the laws of time, had also summoned the River of Time! However, compared to this scene by Prince Ziqing, Third Grandma's manifestation was like a mere stream! Appearing now between heaven and earth, it seemed like the River of Eternity! It filled the imperial palace, covered the imperial capital, and extended throughout the great domain! The entire visible world was covered by the River of Time!

And within this long river, countless past versions of Zhao Youde, like fish in a stream, leapt forth! Stepping from the past into the present, they appeared mid-air, and the moment they materialized, they surged towards Zhao Youde!

"Little brother, did you see clearly? Each of these is Shopkeeper Zhao's past. If they kill Shopkeeper Zhao, he will cease to exist. If he doesn't exist in the present, his past is merely a reflection in a mirror, a flower in water! And if Shopkeeper Zhao kills them, it's equivalent to killing his own past. Without a past, there would be no present! Little brother, if it were you, what would you do?"