Chapter 636: Opportunity and Orders

"Leap out of the River of Time, return to the past, go to the future?" Meng Chuan murmured. Among the treasures and archives left by Patriarch Cang Yuan, there were still some that he was not yet qualified to access. Patriarch Cang Yuan had recorded very little about the Eighth Tribulation Realm. Evidently, in Patriarch Cang Yuan's view, there was no point in understanding the Eighth Tribulation Realm if one hadn't even reached the Sixth Tribulation Realm.

"The past has already happened and cannot be changed," Realm Ancestor said. "The so-called returning to the past is merely to observe, for example, to witness the birth of the universe or the history of some deceased Eighth Tribulation Realm mighty figures."

"Deceased Eighth Tribulation Realm mighty figures?" Meng Chuan asked, puzzled.

"Living Eighth Tribulation Realm mighty figures control their own past and future, having completely transcended the River of Space-Time, so others cannot observe their past," Realm Ancestor explained. "However, once they die, they have no future, and their very being is fixed within that segment of the River of Space-Time. Naturally, one can then glimpse their past. Of course, we of the Seventh Tribulation Realm cannot return to the past."

"Unlike the unchangeable past, the future holds infinite possibilities. Therefore, Eighth Tribulation Realm mighty figures mostly travel to the future or to other universes," Realm Ancestor sighed. "Compared to them, we of the Seventh Tribulation Realm are merely fish in the River of Space-Time, still swimming within it, while Eighth Tribulation Realm experts are already on the shore, able to choose to enter the river in the future, or even journey directly to other rivers."

Meng Chuan nodded slightly. The path of Tribulation Realms indeed showed greater disparities the further one progressed. He himself was utterly powerless against a Seventh Tribulation Realm expert, and the difference between the Seventh and Eighth Tribulation Realms was even more fundamental.

"I have high hopes for you," Realm Ancestor said, smiling at Meng Chuan. "Your talent surpasses even that of Blade-Sword Master; you have the potential to reach the Seventh Tribulation Realm in this lifetime. Perhaps in the future, you, like me, will also attempt to break through to the Eighth Tribulation Realm."

"The Eighth Tribulation Realm is still a very distant goal for this junior," Meng Chuan replied.

Across the entire River of Space-Time, not a single Eighth Tribulation Realm expert emerged in one era, or even ten eras. According to the fragmented information currently known, achieving the Eighth Tribulation Realm was incredibly difficult. Meng Chuan simply wished to proceed one step at a time, doing his best, with his most pressing task being to first overcome the Sixth Heavenly Tribulation.

"It is indeed difficult," Realm Ancestor murmured. "Even if I were given ten times my current lifespan, I wouldn't be certain of success."

With a turn of his hand, a golden leaf appeared in Realm Ancestor's palm. With a flick, the golden leaf flew towards Meng Chuan. "This is a legacy for you from an Eighth Tribulation Realm Soul expert, named 'Path to Eternity'," Realm Ancestor explained. "Due to the limitations of the River of Space-Time's rules, this leaf will disintegrate once you learn from it."

"An Eighth Tribulation Realm Soul legacy?" Meng Chuan exclaimed in surprise. "This... this is too valuable."

"It's valuable to you, but nothing to me," Realm Ancestor said nonchalantly. "I've deliberately collected various Eighth Tribulation Realm Soul legacies, so giving you one is a minor matter. In the future, if you have the opportunity, please help my two juniors, 'Yuxi' and 'Fengxiao', and assist my home world, 'Evermountain Realm'."

Realm Ancestor's request was vague, simply asking for help if the opportunity arose, with no specific demands on how much assistance was required. Clearly, it was left entirely to Meng Chuan's discretion. Such a request was considered very modest.

"Thank you, Senior," Meng Chuan said, accepting the legacy. He naturally committed this favor to memory and would certainly seek an opportunity to repay it in the future. This legacy was still very important to him. After all, Patriarch Cang Yuan was a physical body Seventh Tribulation Realm expert who knew very little about Soul cultivation; even the 'Soul Star' technique was obtained by chance. With this new legacy, he would possess two Eighth Tribulation Realm Soul inheritances, which would provide him with more guidance.

"I also have some advice for you," Realm Ancestor said, smiling at Meng Chuan. "You can learn from the Eighth Tribulation Realm Soul legacies, but do not follow them completely. Every Eighth Tribulation Realm Soul expert... pioneers their own unique path to the Eighth Tribulation Realm."

"Learn from them, but don't follow them completely?" Meng Chuan seemed to understand a little better.

"I won't know how far you'll go in the future; I won't be here to see it," Realm Ancestor said with a smile. "Well, well, well, our shared destiny ends here." With that, he flicked his sleeve. Meng Chuan involuntarily tumbled into a nearby lake.

"Splash." Space-time shifted. On Thousand Mountains Star, he was still in the quiet room. Space-time distorted, and Meng Chuan materialized out of thin air.

"I'm back?" Meng Chuan observed everything: the meditation mat, the lamp, the burning incense in the quiet room... Nothing had changed, as if his recent experience had been a dream. Meng Chuan looked down at the golden leaf in his hand—a legacy gifted by Senior Realm Ancestor. Clearly, it was no dream.

"I truly didn't expect to gain such an opportunity while cultivating in my quiet room," Meng Chuan mused. Opportunities could sometimes be like this: diligently sought, they might not be found, yet with consistent cultivation, they could appear out of nowhere.

Meng Chuan's opportunity stemmed from his shared membership in the Cang Alliance with Realm Ancestor, but more importantly, from Realm Ancestor's recognition of his potential. It was the Realm Ancestor, nearing the end of his lifespan, who was willing to forge this good connection.

"From what Realm Ancestor implied, that I might have the chance to help his two juniors and home world, is Realm Ancestor's lifespan nearing its end?" Meng Chuan nodded slightly. "According to publicly available information, Realm Ancestor has lived for over 180,000 years, making him the oldest Seventh Tribulation Realm expert of this era. He might indeed be close to his end."

"This legacy..." Meng Chuan looked at the golden leaf, immediately sat cross-legged, and very solemnly took out a jade bottle, extracting and consuming a pill, his eyes brightening slightly. Then, a wisp of his soul consciousness immediately permeated the golden leaf.

"Boom—" Immediately, a vast amount of information flooded into Meng Chuan's mind. A legacy, entirely different from 'Soul Star' but in no way inferior, manifested before Meng Chuan.

While Meng Chuan was receiving the 'Path to Eternity', the Eighth Tribulation Realm Soul legacy, Fusui was in a hall within his grand ship.

"The reputation of the Black Mountain Ruins is growing, and word has spread beyond the Cang Alliance, attracting even more cultivators," Fusui said, quite excited. The news spread like wildfire; initially, only cultivators within the Cang Alliance participated, but once the information reached the outside world, cultivators from elsewhere also came seeking it.

"My true body in my home world, the World of Life, means no one can truly kill me," he thought. "This immense wealth is mine for the taking."

Fusui was very cautious. Every time he earned a sum of outer-realm yuan crystals, he would send them back to his home world. His external true body carried pitifully few treasures. He sent back whatever he earned! Unless an Eighth Tribulation Realm mighty figure intervened, his home world true body was completely unthreatened.

"Whoosh." Space-time inside the grand ship distorted. Fusui's expression changed, and he looked ahead with some alarm. A figure forcefully pierced through space-time, bypassing the grand ship's layers of suppressive formations, and directly entered the hall where Fusui was located.

This was a tall, slender man with six arms and cold eyes. As he stepped into the hall, he invisibly influenced the entire grand ship, and even the surrounding trillions of miles, making the vast area noticeably dimmer. When his gaze fell upon Fusui, Fusui felt an inexplicable sense of terror and dread.

"Emperor Xu," Fusui said with utmost respect.

Emperor Xu was one of the Six Heavenly Emperors of the 'Six Directions Heaven', a top power in the River of Space-Time. Among the six Heavenly Emperors, Emperor Xu ranked last. He had grasped the rules of the Seventh Tribulation Realm but had not cultivated a Seventh Tribulation Realm physical body. Nevertheless, he was still one of the top hundred terrifying existences in the River of Space-Time. Fusui wasn't even a true Sixth Tribulation Realm expert, and his soul was heavily wounded; Emperor Xu could probably kill him with just a glance. Even Ghost Ink Master would likely be reduced to dust with a mere flick of Emperor Xu's sleeve.

"Fusui," Emperor Xu said coldly, looking at him, "the Black Mountain Ruins you discovered pose endless dangers. According to the agreement jointly signed by the 'Starfall Pagoda Assembly', I am here to convey an order: from today onwards, you are forbidden from sending any cultivators into the Black Mountain Ruins."

"Forbidden from sending any cultivators in?" Fusui was somewhat stunned. Many cultivators were still waiting on his grand ship; he only received outer-realm yuan crystals after sending a batch inside. Many yuan crystals hadn't even been collected yet. Although he feared Emperor Xu, these outer-realm yuan crystals were his means of survival.

"This is an opportunity I discovered. Why can't I let them in?" Fusui murmured, still protesting despite facing Emperor Xu, for the sake of his survival.

"I am here to convey the order; clearly, I am not the one who issued it," Emperor Xu said, looking at him. "It is the mighty figures who signed the agreement at the Starfall Pagoda Assembly."

"What is the Starfall Pagoda Assembly?" Fusui asked unwillingly.

"An agreement signed jointly by over half of the Seventh Tribulation Realm mighty figures across the entire River of Space-Time," Emperor Xu stated indifferently. "You may choose not to obey, but the moment you refuse, none of your true bodies or clones will be able to appear outside the World of Life. The instant they appear... they will be annihilated."

Fusui was bewildered. Over half of the Seventh Tribulation Realm mighty figures in the River of Space-Time? Could he possibly defy such a decision? From now on, leaving the World of Life would mean death?

"I... I..." Fusui said, deeply unwilling.

"Give me your answer," Emperor Xu said, looking at him.