Chapter 751: Confusion

Qianyuan Mountain imprisons numerous chaotic creatures. Meng Chuan had a strong desire to slay a 'peak Seven Tribulation Realm chaotic creature'. However, despite many attempts, his Essence Soul avatar was always forced to dissipate; otherwise, it would be devoured by the chaotic creature.

It wasn't a lack of will, but insufficient strength.

According to intelligence provided by Senior Brother Qianshou, one must reach the 'Half-step Eight Tribulation Realm' to even hope of slaying a peak Seven Tribulation Realm chaotic creature. Meng Chuan's persistent attempts confirmed the accuracy of this information. Although he was just a hair's breadth away from mastering the complete 'Space-Time Rule', this final step proved exceptionally challenging to overcome. Many powerful beings, such as the Master of Demon Eye Association, Lord Lihong, and Ancestor Jie, had long grasped the three fundamental components of the time rule, yet none of them could fuse them into a complete 'time rule'.

While many Seven Tribulation Realm cultivators exist in each generation, and a significant number have mastered the three fundamental components of the time rule, the number of 'Half-step Eight Tribulation Realm' experts is significantly smaller. This 'hair's breadth' is precisely the challenging part.

"This final step is the greatest obstacle to becoming a Half-step Eight Tribulation Realm," Meng Chuan mused, standing within the spatial prison. Around him, three thousand Sky-Opening Blades floated, their formidable power resonating in all directions.

He was encircled by a distorted space-time labyrinth.

A hideous, massive chaotic creature was cowering, somewhat panicked. Its eight stout, short legs were powerful, and its four eyes could effortlessly conjure illusions with a single blink. Its strength was comparable to that of the Ouroboros snake Meng Chuan had previously defeated. However, Meng Chuan was now considerably more powerful than he had been during that earlier encounter. He effortlessly deployed formations, repeatedly dismantling the chaotic creature's various techniques.

The chaotic creature's illusions? As an Essence Soul Seven Tribulation Realm cultivator, Meng Chuan already possessed great aptitude for illusions. His mastery of the Three Thousand Illusion Formations had elevated his skill in this domain far beyond that of the talent-reliant chaotic creature. In direct combat, he easily overwhelmed his opponent.

"Aside from 'Cycles of Time,' you appear to have no formidable techniques left," Meng Chuan remarked, shaking his head slightly as the chaotic creature now only fled in terror.

"Go," he commanded.

With a thought, the three thousand Sky-Opening Blades coalesced into a chain of light, sweeping across all directions.

This was the fourth transformation of the Chaos Cauldron Sky-Opening Formation: the Ruyi Blade Chain.

With that single sweep, the space-time labyrinth was cleaved open like tofu, exposing the concealed chaotic creature. It frantically attempted to evade, but the Sky-Opening Blade Chain was inescapable.

Meng Chuan's Chaos Cauldron Sky-Opening Blade Formation now possessed six transformations, with this fourth one being more controllable and effortless for him to deploy.

*Pffft.*

As the blade chain passed, the flow of time shifted, and in an instant, the massive, somewhat 'lizard-like' chaotic creature was sliced apart and completely annihilated, leaving no trace.

Meng Chuan took a step and instantly appeared before its life core.

The life core appeared as a grey cloth bag.

"Dealing with top-tier Seven Tribulation Realm chaotic creatures is effortless, but against those at the peak, even deploying my strongest, sixth transformation, I am completely outmatched and easily overwhelmed," Meng Chuan lamented.

Indeed, even a Half-step Eight Tribulation Realm expert merely 'hopes' to slay a peak Seven Tribulation Realm chaotic creature. As for himself, he hadn't yet crossed that threshold, and a gap still separated him from the Half-step Eight Tribulation Realm. Historically, even the most dazzling peak Seven Tribulation Realm cultivators were, at best, lauded as 'approaching the Half-step Eight Tribulation Realm.'

*Whoosh.*

A trace of turbid energy emanated from the grey cloth bag. Meng Chuan sensed it, and the moment his hand brushed against it, the bag disintegrated completely like sand, vanishing into the void. However, the mysterious power contained within this 'bag' life core fully integrated into Meng Chuan's body. Familiar with the procedure, Meng Chuan departed the spatial prison and quietly awaited the completion of the integration process.

This absorption of mysterious power concluded in merely half an hour.

"The benefits this time aren't as pronounced," Meng Chuan murmured, sitting cross-legged on a patch of withered grass in Qianyuan Mountain, carefully observing the changes within himself.

Since his previous transformation had already bestowed upon him certain talents associated with 'time-lineage' chaotic creatures, the changes this time were naturally minimal.

"I didn't even gain a new innate technique," Meng Chuan mused with a touch of emotion.

What he did gain was a more effortless and precise control over 'time'. It was akin to birds inherently knowing how to fly or fish how to swim. Meng Chuan could now control time with greater 'precision'. Through the intricate combination of time and space, he no longer required innate techniques; his own insights were sufficient to manifest illusions like 'Cycles of Time'.

"Compared to the 'Cycles of Time' illusion, my improved subtle control over time offers some assistance to my cultivation," Meng Chuan considered. His mind naturally began to conceive various techniques for the minute manipulation of time and space.

"As for the time rule..."

"How to unify the past, present, and future — I still have no clear idea," Meng Chuan said with a frown.

He consistently felt he was making progress, yet he remained unable to break through the bottleneck, and even his conceptualizations lacked clarity. In fact, five thousand years into his time at Qianyuan Mountain, he had already mastered the three fundamental components of the time rule. He had then cultivated for another thousand years before seeking out and slaying the second chaotic creature, hoping to further deepen his foundational understanding.

He had hoped that with a profound accumulation and new talents, he would achieve a significant breakthrough.

"How does one unify them?"

"The continuation of the past is the present. The present is also the future of the past," Meng Chuan murmured, shaking his head slightly. As distinct components of the time rule, the three mutually influence one another: past and present; present and future; past and future. Their connections are profoundly intricate, offering numerous potential directions, yet Meng Chuan found himself bewildered by every path he explored, lacking confidence in any single one.

"There's no clear clue, no definite direction."

"Even the newly acquired talents offer no clarity," Meng Chuan mused thoughtfully. Mastering time and space rules is exceptionally difficult, even for chaotic creatures; merely gaining a few more talents isn't enough to overcome that threshold.

"At this juncture, intense cultivation offers little benefit; what's truly needed is a flash of inspiration, a moment of profound insight," Meng Chuan decided. "Very well, I shall take a journey and explore. I'll closely examine my home universe. After so many years of cultivation, there are countless places I've yet to visit, such as Nine Tribulation Star – a place I've always wished to see but never have."

Eight Tribulation Realm mighty figures have progressed significantly in their understanding of time and space. Time and space are merely two primary tools that Eight Tribulation Realm mighty figures utilize to comprehend the vastness of endless space-time. The relics they leave behind often encapsulate the essence of their cultivation paths. Meng Chuan resolved to cease his strenuous cultivation and instead embark on a journey, cultivating as he observed. The places he would visit were naturally the relics left by Eight Tribulation Realm experts. Although Qianyuan Mountain was the creation of an Eternal being, perhaps due to its very nature, Meng Chuan found himself unable to glean any profound insights from it. The mountains were just mountains, the trees just trees, and the flora just flora; all appeared ordinary. If destroyed, everything could be restored, its profound mystique so deeply internalized that Meng Chuan found it impossible to discern. Conversely, Meng Chuan could gain significant insights from the traces left by Eight Tribulation Realm cultivators.

"Nine Tribulation Star."

Meng Chuan, clad in white robes with white hair, arrived above a colossal star. The entire celestial body exuded an unending baleful aura, so dense that Five Tribulation Realm mighty figures could only observe from a distance. While Six Tribulation Realm mighty figures might approach somewhat closer, they remained unable to descend upon the star's surface.

"What an extraordinary Nine Tribulation Star," Meng Chuan murmured, gazing down in amazement.

From high above, the star's surface showcased undulating mountain ranges and winding rivers, naturally forming a series of picturesque scenes. Nine distinct paintings covered the entirety of the star's surface.

"To use a star as paper and mountain ranges and rivers as brushstrokes to paint so freely," Meng Chuan mused, nodding. "Yet, the fierce baleful aura is difficult to conceal."

Meng Chuan slowly descended.