Chapter 657: Peering into the Future

“Refuse?”

The Demonic Eye Sect Master’s single eye scrutinized Meng Chuan. He smiled faintly and said, “You seem quite confident. Tell me what you’re relying on; perhaps I’ll change my mind.”

Meng Chuan looked at his opponent. Intelligence reports had long noted that the Demonic Eye Sect Master’s actions were capricious and demonic, which was one reason the Demonic Eye Sect crumbled after he went into hiding for nearly thirty thousand years. None of the powerful beings who had followed the Demonic Eye Sect Master ever spoke of his benevolence, for he never cared about emotions, only tangible benefits.

“You want to destroy all my avatars?” Meng Chuan asked. “I am a Primordial Spirit Sixth-Tribulation realm expert; I can generate Primordial Spirit avatars with a single thought. How many can you destroy?”

“As soon as one emerges, I’ll capture and seal it,” the Demonic Eye Sect Master said, smiling as he watched Meng Chuan. “If I capture nine of your avatars consecutively, won't you only have your true body left in your homeland? It would only take me nine moves; no trouble at all.”

Meng Chuan calmly replied, “One of my Primordial Spirit avatars is located at the Eternal Tower headquarters in the River of Spacetime. Can you destroy that one?”

“The Eternal Tower headquarters in the River of Spacetime offers limited cultivation opportunities,” the Demonic Eye Sect Master said casually. “You can only cultivate in your homeland and at the River of Spacetime headquarters, unable to venture into the many wondrous lands beyond. How far do you expect to cultivate? It seems you’ll have no hope of reaching the Seventh-Tribulation realm in this lifetime.”

Yes.

If his range of activity were limited to his homeland, Cangyuan Realm, and the Eternal Tower headquarters in the River of Spacetime, Meng Chuan’s cultivation conditions would indeed be much weaker.

For instance, he wouldn’t be able to go to the Valley of Spacetime, many mysterious places, or the depths of chaotic holes… For Meng Chuan, who sought to comprehend the ‘Chaotic Hole Laws’, the hope of reaching the Seventh-Tribulation realm would indeed significantly decrease.

“Sect Master, how about you observe this technique of mine?” Meng Chuan stood still as the surrounding void began to warp. A less powerful individual wouldn’t notice, but the Demonic Eye Sect Master immediately saw that the surrounding void fluctuations were completely constrained and controlled, and the void itself had been sliced into tens of thousands of layers, with a shadow of Meng Chuan appearing in each one.

The Demonic Eye Sect Master's single eye showed a hint of surprise. He nodded and commented, “The Domain of Void, Control of Void, and Traversal of Void – you have comprehended all three major aspects of the Laws of Space deeply enough.”

Meng Chuan had long mastered the 'Domain' aspect among the three directions of the Laws of Space. After acquiring the remaining two volumes of the *Void Atlas* and cultivating for over six hundred years, he had accumulated sufficient understanding in the other two directions. This was the effect of the *Void Atlas*; without such a profound legacy, comprehending it on his own to reach the same level would likely have taken several times longer.

“I’ve only cultivated for just over three thousand years so far,” Meng Chuan said calmly. “I also obtained the complete *Void Atlas* early on. Given my accumulation in the Way of Space, and with the ability to cultivate at the Eternal Tower headquarters in the River of Spacetime, Sect Master, do you believe I can master the Laws of Space within ten thousand years?”

As for the Chaotic Hole Laws, because he cannot cultivate deep within chaotic holes, the hope of mastering them has greatly decreased.

However, space is ubiquitous.

With my current accumulation and talent, coupled with the guidance of the *Void Atlas*… even if there are many places I cannot go, I can purchase abundant resources from the River of Spacetime headquarters. I am confident I can achieve this within ten thousand years.

“Within ten thousand years?” the Demonic Eye Sect Master asked, looking at Meng Chuan.

“Once I master the Laws of Space, Sect Master, will you still be able to capture my Primordial Spirit avatars alive?” Meng Chuan asked, looking at his opponent.

Mastering the Laws of Space grants complete control over space. With the Laws of Space, one can even exchange a few moves with a Seventh-Tribulation realm mighty figure, and if the situation turns unfavorable, instantly destroy a Primordial Spirit avatar. The Demonic Eye Sect Master would not be able to capture alive a being who has mastered the Laws of Space before they could react.

“After mastering the Laws of Space, I can continuously send avatars to various places beyond the realms,” Meng Chuan stated. “At that point, will the Sect Master spend all your time relentlessly pursuing my avatars, neglecting everything else?”

The Demonic Eye Sect Master is a Physical Body Seventh-Tribulation realm expert, with one true body in his homeland and only one true body active externally.

Relentlessly pursuing Meng Chuan would indeed leave him no time for anything else.

Therefore, even a Seventh-Tribulation realm mighty figure would find it difficult to threaten a Sixth-Tribulation realm mighty figure who has mastered the Laws of Space.

“Master the Laws of Space?” the Demonic Eye Sect Master said, observing Meng Chuan closely.

In his single eye, he saw the threads of time.

Numerous threads of time emanated from Meng Chuan. His past thread was fixed and singular, but the threads connecting to his future were infinite, stretching towards an endless future, representing his countless possible futures.

As a being who had subtly stood at the very peak of the River of Spacetime over eighty thousand years ago, with strength comparable to the Ancestral Witch King, the Demonic Eye Sect Master, despite being severely injured now, had dedicated himself to comprehending the Laws of Time over these long years. His understanding of the Laws of Time was already extremely profound. Naturally, he harbored ambitions; he, too, wished to fully master the Laws of Time before his lifespan ended, thereby becoming a Half-Step Eighth-Tribulation realm expert.

With his current accumulation, he could at least perceive some of Meng Chuan’s future threads.

The future had not yet occurred and was uncertain, but given the numerous existing elements, many possible futures would naturally emerge.

Following one of these threads, the Demonic Eye Sect Master's single eye perceived a future scene.

It was a vast and tumultuous murky river domain.

A white-haired, white-robed man sat cross-legged, with a colossal painting suspended above him. The painting obscured a vast river domain, and within it were countless chaotic holes. An invisible force enveloped the area below, where a hulking creature stood roaring in the river. Its body was immense, with sixteen intertwining horns on its head and sharp spines protruding from its back. Innumerable secret patterns shimmered on its skin. The mere sight of it evoked boundless terror and dread.

“Dongning, I concede! I am willing to leave this universe; why won’t you let me go?” the hulking creature roared in fury.

“Leave?” The white-haired, white-robed man’s eyes became dark and terrifying as countless runes appeared within them.

The hulking creature trembled in agony, and heads began to sprout from its skin in torment. However, some of these heads instantly burst apart with a *pop*, causing the creature to howl in pain. Its body then split, manifesting billions of figures that charged towards the white-robed, white-haired man.

“A Seventh-Tribulation realm future? And capable of hunting down a Seventh-Tribulation realm taboo creature?” the Demonic Eye Sect Master was somewhat surprised. “Indeed, a Sixth-Tribulation realm expert with high talent can become a Seventh-Tribulation realm expert, but a single future thread doesn't prove anything.”

He then followed another thread to observe.

A man with countless stars floating behind him, whose aura was terrifyingly immense and whose invisible fluctuations had long affected countless river domains, stared coldly at the white-robed, white-haired man.

“Myriad Star Heavenly Emperor.” The white-robed, white-haired Meng Chuan also stared at the man. The vast and continuous painting likewise influenced boundless spacetime.

“Hmph.” The Demonic Eye Sect Master felt a sharp pain in his eye, and faint traces of blood appeared. Clearly, observing the scenes of these two beings was a great burden on him.

“What, fighting with the Myriad Star Heavenly Emperor? And he doesn't seem to be at a disadvantage?” The Demonic Eye Sect Master was greatly astonished.

While he could easily observe the futures of ordinary Venerables and Emperors, observing the future of a Sixth-Tribulation realm mighty figure was a significant burden for him.

Because Meng Chuan was very young, the Demonic Eye Sect Master initially wanted to take a quick look. Who would have thought that viewing two consecutive futures would shock him greatly?

A third future thread, a fourth, a fifth…

The Demonic Eye Sect Master couldn't help but view one after another. Although he felt the burden increasing, he endured it.

The eighth future thread.

It was a desolate void. The Demonic Eye Sect Master was fleeing in panic when suddenly a vast painting enveloped that space, completely imprisoning it as if it had become a mere picture. The Demonic Eye Sect Master in the picture painfully turned his head and saw a white-robed, white-haired man manifest behind him. The Demonic Eye Sect Master immediately bowed respectfully, seemingly about to say something…

“Whoosh.”

“Thump.”

As he spied on the eighth future thread, the Demonic Eye Sect Master’s single eye burst with a *thump*, splattering blood.

The Demonic Eye Sect Master clutched his single eye. The surface of his eye quickly recovered, but it would take him several years to completely expel the entangled temporal backlash forces within. He stared at the young man, who was calmly observing him.

If the future thread being spied upon involved himself, the backlash from viewing it would be even greater. He had wished to see more just now, but ultimately, he couldn't bear it.

“I’ve viewed eight future threads, and in all eight futures… he became a Seventh-Tribulation realm expert,” the Demonic Eye Sect Master murmured to himself. Eighth-Tribulation realm mighty figures completely transcend the threads of time, making it impossible to spy on them. “Although I haven't spied on other future threads, this indicates that no matter what decision I make now, there's a very high probability that he will eventually become a Seventh-Tribulation realm expert.”

Peering into future threads allows one to probabilistically determine a cultivator’s potential.

Currently, only a handful of beings in the entire River of Spacetime could spy on the futures of Sixth-Tribulation realm mighty figures in such a manner. The Demonic Eye Sect Master was one of them.

The Demonic Eye Sect Master was certain that no decision of his could hinder the rise of the young man before him; at the very least, there was a high probability that the other party would still become a Seventh-Tribulation realm expert.

“Hmm?” Meng Chuan looked at his opponent with some doubt. He had said everything he needed to say, yet why was the Demonic Eye Sect Master silent for so long?

Meng Chuan could not see the scene of blood splattering from the Demonic Eye Sect Master’s eye. He only felt that the Demonic Eye Sect Master had been continuously staring at him.

“What you say makes sense,” the Demonic Eye Sect Master said with a faint smile. “Given your current accumulation in the Way of Space, even if I suppress you, you still have hope of mastering the Laws of Space within ten thousand years. At that point, I would no longer be able to suppress you.”

Meng Chuan was confident.

This was also because of an unmentioned reason: his homeland possessed the Grand Seal, an Eternal Secret Treasure left by Ancestral Master Cangyuan, which was another great opportunity.