Chapter 1858: Stillness and Motion

“Time Dao Plate (80).”

“Time Dao Plate (81).”

The progression of the Great Dao Plate steadily increased.

As anticipated, the Tower of Past and Present Forgetfulness truly was a place governed by high laws. Here, profundity wasn't the limit; Dao Transcendence was within reach.

Xu Xiaoshou had already retreated from the Demonic Ancestor's time node. He never made a choice in the end. The Demonic Ancestor seemed to have known from the start that he wouldn't provide an answer so quickly. Thus, what was said at the end was merely, "No rush at the moment." They appeared exceptionally confident, as if once Xu Xiaoshou returned and witnessed the continent's unfolding situation, he would be even more determined to abandon Banzun An and seek cooperation with Them.

As for the secret of the "higher choice," and finally, the Demonic Ancestor's fingertip gently tapping Their forehead, uttering the two-word hint: "turntable"...

Strolling through the long river of time, as the true essence of time settled and his understanding of the Way of Time deepened, Xu Xiaoshou suddenly felt lost. He felt he was about to get lost there; only one perplexing thought kept flashing in his mind:

"The Demonic Ancestor knows about the turntable in my mind..."

In fact, what was in Xu Xiaoshou's mind was no longer a turntable, but a passive system interface. But he knew well how the passive system had appeared. It was forced upon him after he broke the pointer on the turntable. The Demonic Ancestor's hint exposed Their ignorance; They had no true understanding of the passive system, still fixated on the "turntable"—its most rudimentary stage. Yet, it also revealed Their omniscience. How could the Demonic Ancestor know anything about his greatest secret?

"How did They know?"

"The fact that They know proves that the 'turntable' is known by more than just Them; perhaps other Ancestral Gods know too..."

From Jin Ren's side, insights into the myriad aspects of the mortal world were still seeping in. The long river of time flowed from the White Cave to the Eastern Heaven King City, to Void Island, and even further to Jade Capital City, the Four Symbols Secret Realm, and the Divine Ruins. All sorts of past events, both his own and those not belonging to him, came rushing in. This vast amount of "experience," whether his own or not, nearly drowned Xu Xiaoshou in the long river of time.

Fortunately, the only thing that could still anchor him was a steadily rising string of numbers.

“Time Dao Plate (88).”

“Time Dao Plate (89).”

At this point, Xu Xiaoshou had lived through his current life in the Five Domains, re-experiencing the cycle of blooming and wilting. He had planted ninety-nine seeds in the Dao Cultivation Field, holding onto the last one, hesitating to plant it.

"The Tower of Past and Present Forgetfulness..."

From the long river of time, he arrived at the present moment in the real world, entering the Tower of Past and Present Forgetfulness once more. He saw himself. His seated self, cross-legged on the floor, was enveloped in swirling demonic energy, his brow furrowed, seemingly trapped in some intractable predicament.

"Of course it's difficult; I can't even figure it out, let alone myself..."

His self strolling on the long river of time observed his self comprehending the Dao in the Tower of Past and Present Forgetfulness. *I observe myself, yet I am not myself.* This was so mysterious, so wondrous, it couldn't help but evoke sighs of awe. Xu Xiaoshou suddenly understood Kong Yuhen: the Way of Time cannot be truly grasped; the deeper one delves, the more lost one becomes. He simply gave up thinking and turned his gaze back to the deeply melancholic Tower of Past and Present Forgetfulness.

"Gurgle..."

The boiling teapot had been untouched for too long. Wisps of boiling white steam drifted out from the spout, formless, just like time.

"Swish swish..."

Mr. Si Ren sat restlessly by the tea table, his folding fan continuously fluttering. Banzun An leaned calmly against the doorframe, serene and composed, his gaze fixed on Xu Xiaoshou, occasionally looking out the window. Kong Yuhen had descended from the wooden ladder and stood semi-leaning against the display table on the left side of the attic, unconsciously twirling a sharp wooden carving knife in his hand.

"Is Kong Yuhen skilled in woodworking?"

Xu Xiaoshou mused, recalling that the last time he entered the Tower of Past and Present Forgetfulness, Kong Yuhen was clearly carving Huangquan. The wooden carving he made was too eerie, heads nested within heads, like nesting dolls forming a time prison; a single glance made one feel as if their very soul would be sucked into an abyss.

"Has Huangquan been sucked into the abyss?"

Xu Xiaoshou thought of this person again; to this day, Huangquan had not reappeared in the Five Domains. Huangquan was gone. Huangquan's wooden carving remained. Xu Xiaoshou looked at the wooden carvings on the display table, assuming these were all Kong Yuhen's proud creations. Besides Huangquan's, there were also ten Lord wooden carvings, and other figures that looked familiar but whose names he couldn't recall.

"Perhaps they were all figures of that era, capable of rivaling the Ten Lords."

The wooden carvings had probably been there for a long time, and Kong Yuhen hadn't wiped them much; some had thick layers of dust on their heads and shoulders, just like time.

"It seems there wasn't dust before..."

Murmuring silently, Xu Xiaoshou suddenly became alert, noticing other small wooden trinkets on the display table besides the carvings. There were combs, wooden clocks, pitch-pot sets, wooden targets, turntables, and a variety of other items, seemingly all Kong Yuhen's leisure works to pass the time.

"Turntable!"

Xu Xiaoshou's pupils constricted violently. He quickly stepped closer and grabbed the turntable. But the turntable was merely wooden, without the two gold and red divisions, no pointer to flick, and no words like "Active System" or "Passive System" inscribed on it. He put the turntable down, feeling a profound sense of loss. Expectation and disappointment, just like time.

"Time..."

Xu Xiaoshou held the last Dao Cultivation Seed; at this point, everything he saw and felt he could associate with time. He hesitated. Even though Banzun An had promised to back him up, he suddenly lost his initial courage to transcend the Time Dao Plate.

"What is time?"

He had lived through his own life, and witnessed countless others' lives, yet still hadn't found a definitive answer. He cast his gaze out the window of the Tower of Past and Present Forgetfulness. It was noon, no flying snow, only the blazing sun in the sky. In a daze, the sunlight slanted westward, setting behind the hazy mountains.

"Time..."

Xu Xiaoshou had another realization. Time is movement, it is the boiling white steam from the teapot. Time is stillness, it is the dust on the wooden carvings on the display table. Time is the motionless blazing sun at noon, and also the rapidly falling sunset behind the western mountains at dusk. Time is the only unit for measuring all things in the world, yet time is defined by humans; time itself is void. Does it seem to exist? Or does it seem not to exist?

"What is the end of time?"

Xu Xiaoshou grew curious about this question once more. He withdrew his gaze from the window, and after tracing his path, he turned his attention to the end of the long river of time. Fog obscured his vision, the path ahead was unknown, and Xu Xiaoshou found no answer. Is time a line segment with two endpoints, or an infinitely extendable straight line, a circle where beginning meets end, or a Möbius strip? There was no answer.

Xu Xiaoshou let out a long breath, standing in the Tower of Past and Present Forgetfulness, his Time Dao Plate at full power. He attempted to encompass the entire long river of time, to glimpse its source and end. But time has no source and no end; the long river of time flowed from behind and rushed into the distance. He was as insignificant as a grain of sand in the river, completely lost.

"Someone!"

In a trance, Xu Xiaoshou saw countless figures on the long river of time; he focused intently. But it was very blurry. Those countless figures resembled himself, yet also Kong Yuhen, and seemed to be the... Time Ancestor, standing at the source and end? They all had their backs to him. The truth of time could not be glimpsed even a little.

"Perhaps, this is the truth of time?"

Xu Xiaoshou felt annoyed; in a blink, all the figures on the long river of time vanished, as if they had never been there, just like time. Time was utterly empty. Time holds no joy; all sorrow and joy flow away with it. But humans do! Thus, for humans, what time leaves behind at its end is bewilderment, and what remains is hatred?

Xu Xiaoshou was silent for an unknown period, then retreated from the long river of time. At that moment, the cross-legged Xu Xiaoshou comprehending the Dao in the Tower of Past and Present Forgetfulness opened his eyes. His demonic energy receded into his body, as if nothing had just happened. He glanced up at Banzun An by the wooden doorway. The three in the Tower of Past and Present Forgetfulness sensed it simultaneously. Mei Siren rose in surprise, hesitating to speak. Kong Yuhen turned back from the display table, not noticing that the turntable on it seemed to have been moved. Banzun An withdrew his gaze from the brilliant and dazzling array of Time Profundity where Xu Xiaoshou sat, looked at the young man, and gently asked:

"Are you ready?"

After a deep breath, Xu Xiaoshou nodded: "Mm."

"Xu Xiaoshou!"

Mei Siren stepped forward, wanting to say something, but finally just crouched down and clenched his fist firmly at him: "You can do it."

"Xu Xiaoshou."

Kong Yuhen also spoke. Xu Xiaoshou looked, and after Kong Yuhen pondered, he whispered: "Face time."

Banzun An also rose from the wooden doorframe; though his arms were still crossed, a smile appeared on his lips, and he added a word: "Don't worry, I'm watching."

Xu Xiaoshou nodded again, closing his eyes. He no longer hesitated, planting the last Dao Cultivation Seed in the Dao Cultivation Field, completely immersing himself in the Way of Time.

“Time Dao Plate (90).”

His self seemed to shatter, the world disintegrated. The Tower of Past and Present Forgetfulness was no more; chaos descended. After an unknown period, countless interdimensional fissures slowly opened up across the world.

Beneath his feet, a small, square platform materialized.

"This is..."

"Why hasn't Master Shou returned yet!"

On Lingyu Mountain, Li Fugui, clutching a golden apricot, paced anxiously. The sky was falling! No one had ever thought that the Seven Break Time-Forbidden Realm Fissure would be the first to cause trouble. According to reports, three major monsters had appeared there, suspected to be of the supreme Semi-Saint level, meaning the same tier as the Ten Lords and Master Shou. Alliance Leader Yan Sheng personally went to battle and was cut in half with a single blow. The Black Tower Semi-Saint took up the banner but died giving birth in public. The three monsters: one a giant purple eye, one an ancient locust tree, and one a coffin beneath a pagoda. Others might not know what these were, but didn't Li Fugui?

How could they be mere Semi-Saints! These were clearly the three Ancestral Gods!

When the news arrived, it was naturally less reliable than seeing it himself. Li Fugui conjured a golden apricot screen, and an excited voice immediately came from within:

"Brothers, I am currently at the Time Realm Fissure. This is the northern front battlefield. As you can see, what just flashed by was the sea of thunder engulfing the sky."

"This is the strength of Kui Leihan!"

"This is the prestige of the foremost of the Ten Lords!"

"My heavens, you wouldn't believe it! Just now, the Saint Tribulation and Ancestral Source Imperial Tribulation appeared simultaneously. Kui Leihan simply clenched his hand, and the lightning tribulation, being lightning, was directly seized by him and transformed into a sky-shaking thunder hammer..."

The position of the Preacher Lord was clearly far to the rear; after all, survival was paramount. The apricot screen almost encompassed the entire square platform battlefield of the Time Realm Fissure. Of course, what was most eye-catching was Kui Leihan, a man with a hammer, soaring above the void, looking down upon the three monsters from beyond the heavens. The battle was raging fiercely. From beyond the void, locust branches hung down, like deities fishing, toying with all beings. As the branches extended, their residual power shattered the Dao principles and pulverized the void.

Spectators had already surpassed a million, and this was just the beginning; the numbers continued to rise as time passed. After the introduction, everyone knew that it was such a locust branch that had just pierced the Black Tower Semi-Saint, who had no power to resist and perished as a Saint on the spot. But in the screen, Kui Leihan's great cloak flared as he stepped into the void to meet it. He hardly exerted any force; with a simple hammer strike, the locust branch, imbued with endless Saint Power and Ancestral Source Power, shattered on the spot.

"Is that all you've got, Beihuai?"

In the deathly silent battlefield, Kui Leihan's voice boomed, deafeningly: "Is that all the progress you've made in decades? If you can't show some real skill, go home and have your children!"

This single sentence immediately ignited countless spectators watching via the apricot screen; comments flooded the screen, and Li Fugui instantly chose to close the comments. The Preacher Lord also seemed to go mad, continuously howling:

"Is this Kui Leihan? He's a bit too strong! What kind of hammer is that, a Hammer of Thorough Divine Sense? I don't understand!"

"He just said 'Beihuai'. This locust tree... could it be the Great World Locust from the Nine Ancestral Trees? Is one of these extraterrestrial visitors Beihuai?"

"The Ten Lords, Beihuai!"

If Buddha harbored resentment, prisons would be full; if Beihuai had no tears, even heaven would mourn... Li Fugui murmured internally, his face overcast. The Resentful Buddha was at Gui Zhe's old site. Now, a Beihuai had appeared at the Time Realm Fissure. Although Kui Leihan was guarding it, why did it feel wrong?

"Beihuai's ability—how could it be making people pregnant and literally bursting the Black Tower Semi-Saint to death? If he appeared, no one in the Time Realm Fissure would be able to utter a sound, only cries..."

Li Fugui's research into the information on the Ten Lords was indeed profound. The formerly Grieving Great Void, now the Grieving Saint Emperor—he didn't even need to descend; as soon as his power leaked out, everyone's emotions would be affected. Not to mention the Preacher Lord should be weeping bitterly. Who knows, one might even witness the famous scene of Kui Leihan, a strong man, shedding tears!

"Instead, it's like what Master Shou described: the ability of the Sacred Infant Plant in the Divine Ruins, or rather..."

"Could another of the Three Ancestors be the Medicine Ancestor?!"

The Great World Locust was definitely right. The Great World Locust was also connected to the Medicine Ancestor. Then Beihuai was definitely inseparable from the Medicine Ancestor among the Ten Ancestors... Li Fugui noted this down, waiting to report it to Master Shou later.

In the Time Realm Fissure battlefield screen, as the locust branch shattered, the giant purple eye from beyond the heavens emitted an eerie light. Vaguely, people seemed to glimpse a phantom skull platform rising, upon which a slender man with three heads and six arms was resting with closed eyes.

"Calamity Yin..."

Li Fugui's pupils constricted violently. Was Calamity Yin about to act? But at the same time, the image of the coffin beneath the inverted Buddha pagoda subtly glowed black, and Calamity Yin's movement on the divine throne paused. That image dissolved into nothingness, as if it had never appeared. Even the Great World Locust's branches, which had been madly exploring the Time Realm Fissure's planar nodes and occasionally poking through, all retracted.

"They were scared off!"

The Preacher Lord's excited voice rang out, "The three monstrous... beings were scared off by the Ten Lord Kui Leihan with one hammer! Kui Leihan is terrifying!"

Were they really scared off? Li Fugui felt an inexplicable panic, sensing this was the prelude to a storm. Suddenly, he felt something and looked towards the north.

"Whoosh—"

In a distant place, a malevolent ghost sang. Accompanied by the hum of swords, it originated from nowhere, echoing throughout the Five Domains. At this moment, let alone Li Fugui on the nearby Lingyu Mountain, the Sword Burying Mound's Sword Washing Pool, the Flower World of the Great Desert, Feng Family City's Sword Pavilion, the ancient sword cultivators of Fusang... Throughout the Five Domains, spiritual swords hummed in unison, soaring into the sky, bowing towards the north, as if welcoming the arrival of a supreme being.

"Blessings never come in pairs, misfortunes never come alone..."

Li Fugui's face turned pale; he vaguely understood something. He looked around, but there was no one. He wanted to seek help but couldn't find Master Shou.

At the same time, the golden apricot in Li Fugui's hand trembled, and a report from his subordinates at the old Gui Zhe site popped up. Simple, only two words, yet like a bolt from the blue:

"Hua, arrived."