Chapter 592: 悠悠 Eight Hundred Years

Time passed leisurely, and nearly a century had gone by since Meng Chuan established 'Dongning City' on Qianshan Star in the Sansan River System.

"Is this Dongning City? So many cultivators!""There are so many shops, offering Emperor-level cultivation manuals and even Tribulation Realm-level scriptures."

Three Venerables walked excitedly through Dongning City. As the primary trading hub for the entire 'Sansan River System,' Dongning City attracted three to four tenths of the system's cultivators to reside there long-term. In the past, they had been severely exploited, but now, a 'fair trading place' had emerged, thrilling many Venerables. They brought out cherished treasures from their home worlds to exchange for items needed in their respective realms.

Trading meant selling what they didn't need and acquiring what they did. This created a win-win situation for everyone!

"These roadside shops are ordinary, but the buildings spanning over a hundred li are owned by mighty Five Tribulation Realm experts. The tallest one... that's the Eternal Building! All other shops in Dongning City combined can't compare to the Eternal Building alone. Still, you can find some good deals in the ordinary shops," the leading Venerable proudly explained.

"According to the rules, we'll split up for now and meet back here in five hours. We have to leave Qianshan Star before dark.""Alright.""Let's split up."

The three Venerables weren't concerned about their safety. In the past, at some hidden trading spots, weaker Venerables were not only exploited but also easily robbed if their treasures were too appealing. In Dongning City? Even Tribulation Realm experts dared not violate the rules.

Outside Dongning City, atop a tall mountain, stood a small building. Qin Wu sat cross-legged on a flat boulder in front of the pavilion, sensing the myriad rule mysteries throughout the outer void. He gazed down at the immense 'Dongning City' in the distance, bustling with activity.

"'Meng Chuan's establishment of Dongning City has truly benefited the entire Sansan River System,' Qin Wu murmured softly."

Because his home, the Cangyuan Realm, was growing increasingly prosperous, the number of God-Demons there was also increasing. Meng Chuan had significantly lowered the threshold for entering the 'God-Demon Blood Pool' and used various rare treasures, acquired by trading 'one hundred units of outer realm primordial crystals,' to cultivate the younger generation. This led to a much greater number of contemporary God-Demons in the Cangyuan Realm than ever before. Although resource consumption increased tenfold, these resources could be entirely purchased from the outer realm, barely touching the Cangyuan Realm's own reserves. This was the benefit of having a powerful Tribulation Realm expert emerge!

Large quantities of resources were transported back to his home realm. One hundred units consumed over a century meant ten thousand units over ten millennia—a considerable investment indeed.

Additionally, Meng Chuan's Primordial Spirit avatar repeatedly gave public 'sermons.' As a mighty Five Tribulation Realm expert with profound understanding of both time and space, his guidance accelerated the progress of God-Demons. The number of Venerables reached seventeen, not counting Meng An, who had traveled far into the outer realm.

"'My Primordial Spirit talent is somewhat lacking, so I fear I won't reach the seventh level of Primordial Spirit in this lifetime. However, before my lifespan limit, my self-created sword art still has a chance to reach the Heavenly Realm,' Qin Wu mused. He, too, harbored ambitions."

He had possessed unparalleled talent in his youth, becoming a Venerable early on and cultivating to the Cavern Sky Perfected Realm in his home realm. Thanks to Meng Chuan... Meng Chuan brought various inherited ultimate arts from the Star Cluster Pavilion and also discussed sword cultivation with his master, Qin Wu. Not long ago, Qin Wu finally saw the hope of reaching the 'Heavenly Realm.' So, after informing Meng Chuan, he came to the outer realm to cultivate in Dongning City.

Here, he could spar with numerous alien races and perceive more vast and profound rule mysteries. He still had several hundred years of life remaining and was confident he could reach the 'Heavenly Realm' before his lifespan ran out. However, his Primordial Spirit... he had only recently reached the sixth level, and at this rate, reaching the seventh level before his life's end seemed unlikely.

"'Meng Chuan once said that any Venerable in the Cangyuan Realm who reaches the 'Heavenly Realm' in skill but doesn't achieve the seventh level of Primordial Spirit before their lifespan limit can have their life reformed into an Emperor-level special life-form using rare treasures,' Qin Wu thought, feeling this path suited him well."

For Meng Chuan, it was already difficult for a single 'Heavenly Realm' Venerable to emerge from his home realm; three to five would be extraordinary! Transforming them into Emperor-level special life-forms would only cost a few hundred units per person, which was quite easy for Meng Chuan.

Qin Wu, however, didn't know that Meng Chuan intended to extend his master's lifespan. Because 'life transformation' would halt one's cultivation at the Emperor-level, making advancement to the Tribulation Realm impossible. Normal lifespan extension, in contrast, didn't affect the cultivation path. However, its cost was significantly higher, and Qin Wu hadn't dared to even hope for it. He even considered the ability of a 'Heavenly Realm Venerable' to be transformed into an Emperor-level special life-form a great opportunity, a huge sacrifice on Meng Chuan's part.

"Whoosh." Qin Wu took a step, gracefully descending the mountain and flying towards Dongning City. He frequently visited Dongning City; he enjoyed browsing its wide array of shops.

Inside Meng Chuan's cave dwelling, he was drinking tea, meticulously studying the third volume of the 'Void Illustrated Record'.

"'The Grand Dao is truly simple,' he murmured. 'Just as the record describes, though the path of space is vast, it has three main arteries. After eight hundred years of studying, I've finally thoroughly comprehended the third volume of the 'Void Illustrated Record' from beginning to end.'"

Although nearly a century had passed in the outside world, he had spent much of that time verifying his insights deep within chaotic holes. The varying degrees of spacetime distortion at different depths of these chaotic holes were highly suitable for comprehending spacetime.

"'One low-tier Eternal Token for the third volume of the 'Void Illustrated Record' is truly worth it.' Even Five Tribulation Realm members within the Eternal Building had to earn it through contributions, and Six Tribulation Realm members needed 300,000 units of outer realm primordial crystals to purchase it. After reading it, Meng Chuan felt the price was not expensive at all."

"'If it only explained one branch of the 'Void Illustrated Record,' it naturally wouldn't be worth this much.' Meng Chuan was certain that the most valuable aspect of this third volume of the 'Void Illustrated Record' was its ability to illustrate by analogy, providing examples for various 'Daos.'"

The creator's realm was simply too high. To make explanations clearer and analyses more precise, they illustrated by analogy, even using other rule mysteries as examples for verification.

The numerous examples provided the reader with a clear understanding of the various 'Daos' within the river of spacetime, allowing them to form their own framework of rules. Just as countless bricks and tiles eventually construct a tall building, countless rule mysteries combine to form the 'spacetime rules' of the entire river of spacetime. Studying this record significantly broadened his horizons.

He even had a faint sense of looking down upon various rules from the perspective of an 'Eternal' being. Of course, this was an illusion! This third volume of the 'Void Illustrated Record' was only suspected to have been created by an Eternal existence. Nevertheless, it gave Meng Chuan a much clearer plan for his own cultivation path.

"'I truly wish I could see the other two volumes,' Meng Chuan thought, filled with anticipation."

The 'Void Illustrated Record' comprised three volumes, and he had only read the third. Unfortunately, the cost of reading was too high. For a Five Tribulation Realm expert, simply getting one chance to read it was an immense opportunity. To see the other two volumes? He would have to wait until he became a Six Tribulation Realm expert and then find a way.

"Hmm?" Meng Chuan suddenly turned his head, gazing into a distant direction, feeling a surge of surprise. His son, Meng An, was in that incredibly distant direction. Due to some obscuring phenomenon, Meng Chuan couldn't pinpoint his son's exact location.

The bloodline connection between father and son was incredibly clear, and their karmic entanglement was even deeper. But just now, Meng Chuan sensed another presence besides his son, Meng An! It was a similar bloodline connection.

"'Equally distant, in the same direction as An'er, and sharing a powerful bloodline connection with me?' Meng Chuan was shocked. His daughter, grandchildren, and other blood relatives had connections with him, but they were all in his home, the Cangyuan Realm. In that immensely distant place... who else besides Meng An could have such a deep bloodline connection with him? That connection was clearly only slightly weaker than those with Meng An and Meng You."

"'A blood relative within three generations? Could it be An'er's child?' Meng Chuan could only guess this, because among his relatives, only Meng An had ever traveled to such a distant region."

"'An'er has a child?' Meng Chuan blinked, a little dazed. For all those years in their home realm, An'er hadn't married, had he? How had a child suddenly appeared? What exactly had An'er experienced during his many years in the outer realm?"