Chapter 662: Space Rules

Qingshan Master killed a top-tier Six Tribulation Realm expert with a single move, showing no concern. Just then, the thin figure from outside the hall walked in, clearly a manifestation of his will that had reformed.

"Brother Qingshan, I am thoroughly convinced of my defeat," the thin figure said, shaking his head as he walked in. "Even at my level of cultivation, I am still vulnerable in the face of spatial rules."

"Space is the foundation of all existence and naturally suppresses all other Six Tribulation Realm rules," Qingshan Master stated. "Although I don't know why, beings who master spatial rules are still classified as Six Tribulation Realm. Yet, in my opinion, its importance is no less than any fundamental rule."

All the Six Tribulation Realm mighty figures present, hailing from various river domains, nodded in agreement.

At their current stage, the next step was to comprehend fundamental rules. Thus, they could perceive the profound influence of spatial rules on all things, an influence even greater than some fundamental rules. However, physical bodies and souls cultivated solely through spatial rules remained at the Six Tribulation Realm level.

"Time and space are the two great foundations of everything we know," the Heart Demon Cult Master, seated at the head, spoke from a distance. "They are like two legs; losing either one results in a disability. Spatial rules are indeed crucial, but without time, pure space becomes much weaker. However, once time is incorporated, it undergoes a transformation."

"Fundamental rules, on the other hand, integrate both time and space, becoming powerful enough to achieve the Seven Tribulation Realm."

"Relying solely on space is inherently fragile. However, by mastering complete spatial rules as a foundation, and then comprehending complete temporal rules, their combination allows one to transcend the river of time and space, achieving the Eight Tribulation Realm. Such beings can travel through the past and future, and even journey to other universes," the Heart Demon Cult Master said with a slight smile. "For an Eight Tribulation Realm mighty figure, mastering spatial rules is a crucial foundational step."

The Six Tribulation Realm experts present all nodded slightly, deeply desiring the Eight Tribulation Realm, yet feeling it was an incredibly distant goal.

Each of them was a dominant figure in their own right: some were contemporary geniuses from higher life worlds, others were the strongest members of unique life forms, and still others were the most brilliant individuals from weaker life worlds.

In the vast river of time and space, among countless races, only tens of thousands could achieve the Six Tribulation Realm in the current era. For instance, the 'Eight-headed Star-devouring Serpent' race, which Meng Chuan had previously encountered, had no Six Tribulation Realm experts at present. Their strongest member wasn't even qualified to enter the Nebula Palace. Clearly, being ranked in the Nebula Palace signified standing among the universe's most formidable powers.

"Qingshan, please use a few more moves. You always defeat your opponents in one or two, and we don't even have time to properly observe," the Heart Demon Cult Master chuckled.

Qingshan Master nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the top-tier Six Tribulation Realm experts seated at the front of the hall. At that moment, a silver-haired, green-eyed man stood up. With pointed ears and luxurious robes, he smiled and said, "I'll spar a few moves with Brother Qingshan. Brother Qingshan, please be merciful."

"It's not easy to destroy this avatar of yours," Qingshan Master replied, a touch of helplessness in his voice as he looked at the man.

"Is that him? The Shadow Demon Walker?" Meng Chuan raised an eyebrow.

The White Bird Hall Master had a close friend, the 'Shadow Demon Lord,' a Half-step Seven Tribulation Realm expert, who helped him establish White Bird Hall. This individual was like the Hall Master's shadow, disliking public appearances or holding power. Yet, his hidden contributions to White Bird Hall surpassed even those of Vice Hall Master Scorching Sun and Vice Hall Master Azure Dragon. Many major events involving White Bird Hall bore traces of his intervention.

The Shadow Demon Lord was widely recognized as the strongest Half-step Seven Tribulation Realm expert! During his battles alongside the White Bird Hall Master, the Shadow Demon Lord had slain the extra-dimensional true bodies of two Seven Tribulation Realm mighty figures, astounding all forces across the river of time and space. Of course, he had rarely made an appearance in the past ten millennia.

The Shadow Demon Walker was the Shadow Demon Lord's only Six Tribulation Realm disciple.

Inside the main hall of the Nebula Palace, Qingshan Master and the Shadow Demon Walker began their match.

When the Shadow Demon Walker made his move, he transformed into wind.

An omnipresent wind!

Powerful winds howled, while gentle breezes drifted, capable of silently penetrating deep into an enemy's body.

"Swoosh." A wind, sharp as a blade, cut towards Qingshan Master.

Qingshan Master remained standing.

The wind blade passed through, as if Qingshan Master were an illusion, completely untouched.

"As long as Qingshan Master wishes, even standing directly before an opponent, they cannot touch him," Meng Chuan observed. Qingshan Master had casually created a layer of space, positioning himself within it. Other Six Tribulation Realm experts simply couldn't penetrate this spatial layer, thus they couldn't harm him in the slightest.

Qingshan Master suddenly took a step, and strangely, all the surrounding wind seemed to retreat along with him.

He was moving.

All the surrounding wind continuously gave way, maintaining a distance of about a foot from him.

"A mere foot can be a world away," Meng Chuan marveled.

It wasn't the wind retreating; rather, Qingshan Master was manipulating space, ensuring the two sides always maintained that specific distance. No matter how fast the opponent moved, they would always be just out of reach.

"Incredible."

"Spatial rules indeed completely overpower all other Six Tribulation Realm rules."

"Every time I witness it, the disparity feels immense," the Six Tribulation Realm mighty figures present quietly murmured among themselves. Those 'Six Tribulation Realm mighty figures' who master spatial rules are considered a unique, peak class, set apart from others. They are even unafraid of antagonizing Seven Tribulation Realm mighty figures because, even if they were to turn hostile, a Seven Tribulation Realm expert would need time to kill them, allowing them to destroy an avatar.

"My turn."

Qingshan Master, who had solely been evading, finally made his move.

He extended a finger and pointed forward.

The strong winds that had spread everywhere were suddenly constricted! More precisely, the surrounding space was abruptly compressed into a single point, smaller than a grain of sand, naturally containing the boundless wind within it.

The pale finger touched that point, and with a roaring sound, the point was completely annihilated.

In the instant of annihilation.

The Shadow Demon Walker, however, reappeared out of thin air, still in peak condition.

"The Rule of Past," Meng Chuan realized as he watched, understanding this was another of the Shadow Demon Walker's techniques.

The Shadow Demon Walker, a top-tier Six Tribulation Realm expert, had mastered two Six Tribulation Realm rules: the Rule of Wind and the Rule of Past.

The Rule of Past was essentially the profound application of the 'Immortality Talisman.' The Shadow Demon Walker could readily create Immortality Talismans.

At the apparent moment of being slain, he projected his perfectly intact self from a past instant into the present.

To kill a powerful being who has mastered the 'Rule of Past,' one must not only slay their current self but also their past selves.

If the 'Rule of Wind' offered good self-preservation, then the 'Rule of Past' at the Six Tribulation Realm level was practically an immortal body.

"No matter how powerful time is, it must rely on space," Qingshan Master finally said, becoming serious. With him at the center, the surrounding area began to twist and churn. The Shadow Demon Walker's body, located within this area, also began to distort. Each twist and tremor represented both destruction and rebirth.

His body was constantly being destroyed and then projected from the past to the present, but the temporal projection was clearly becoming increasingly difficult.

"Absolute Space?"

Everyone present watched intently, Meng Chuan holding his breath.

Among Six Tribulation Realm rules, the immortal body derived from the Rule of Past had only one known counter: 'Absolute Space.'

Absolute Space represented complete and utter control. For instance, the 'Thunder Realm' described in the ancient text Meng Chuan once read, whose hundred thousand li extent constituted an Absolute Space.

Absolute Space exerted a terrifying suppressive effect on everything, making temporal shifts incredibly difficult.

"Within my Absolute Space, you can only project the most recent temporal points into the present. How many times can you project? Ten times? A hundred times?" Qingshan Master questioned, looking at his opponent.

"Alright, alright, stop now," the Shadow Demon Walker immediately exclaimed after his body twisted and trembled dozens of times.

Absolute Space significantly hampered his temporal manipulation. After the recent temporal points were all destroyed, he could only attempt to shift to a more distant past. However, the further back in time... the more challenging it became to successfully project himself under the influence of Absolute Space.

For Eight Tribulation Realm mighty figures, directly traveling physically to the past to observe everything was something the Shadow Demon Walker dared not even dream of accomplishing at his current level.

"Whoosh."

The surrounding space returned to normal.

Qingshan Master smiled warmly at the Shadow Demon Walker.

"Complete spatial rules are indeed invincible at the Six Tribulation Realm," the Shadow Demon Walker said, shaking his head. "Without fundamental rules, there is simply no way to suppress it."

Meng Chuan watched all this from his seat in the back-row corner of the hall, feeling a touch of awe. Both the Shadow Demon Walker and Qingshan Master were far beyond his current level. Against the Shadow Demon Walker's 'past immortal body,' he had no viable strategy; the combination of the opponent's two rules could easily overwhelm him. As for Qingshan Master? Under Absolute Space, he could be annihilated however Qingshan Master wished.

"Spatial rules," Meng Chuan murmured to himself. This was also his current cultivation goal.