Chapter 1862: Time Ancestor

Faint light illuminated the surrounding chaotic environment. From a bird’s-eye view, the small four-sided platform was covered in cracks, resembling a nascent alternate dimension. Xu Xiaoshou vaguely sensed a familiar aura, yet couldn’t pinpoint its origin. Had he been here before? But he was certain he had never visited this place in his life!

“Buzz—” A streak of purple lightning flickered. In a daze, Xu Xiaoshou saw a figure wrapped in a large cloak. This was...

“Kui Leihan?” He had seen Kui Leihan before. But wasn’t Kui Leihan in the town at the foot of Qingyuan Mountain? Why was he here? Looking in the direction Kui Leihan was facing, three familiar figures stood in the extra-dimensional starry sky: the Eye of Calamity, the Coffin Beneath the Pagoda, and the Great World Scholar Tree, representing the three great Ancestor Gods.

“Time Dao Transcendence, where has it brought me? Is this another illusion?” But previous illusions like those would yield Sword Mastery or passive skills like Qi Devouring Mountains and Rivers. This time, it was Time Dao Transcendence, so logically, he should be meeting the Time Ancestor. He hadn’t seen the Time Ancestor, but he had arrived in such a strange world. Could it be the "Time Realm"? Xu Xiaoshou was amused by his own thought. The Time Realm was Kong Yuhan’s lifelong pursuit. Not to mention he hadn't gathered all six doors to reconstruct it. Even if he eventually completed it, whether such a seemingly profound thing even existed was debatable.

“Hum!” His thoughts rattled, and the scene changed. The four-sided platform world rapidly evolved and transformed, sometimes becoming a stable world, other times reverting to chaos, making it difficult to comprehend. Through the traces of time, Xu Xiaoshou could perceive that the Time Dao here was completely chaotic. Past and future were constantly repeating. The outcome revealed by the four-sided platform world was leading in an unknown direction, perhaps to bring him before the Time Ancestor for a meeting?

“Since I’m here, I’ll make myself at home.” Xu Xiaoshou quietly waited for the four-sided platform world to change. He didn't know if the rule level of the Ancient and Modern Forgetful Pavilion was higher than that of the God's Remains, or if his own mastery of the "Way of Intent" had been sufficiently honed. This time with the Time Dao Transcendence, he had expected to lose himself slightly, but unexpectedly, his consciousness was remarkably clear. While waiting, he even had the capacity to ponder other matters.

“Calculating the time, a quarter of an hour has long passed since Ancestor Jinzhao mentioned it. Hua Changdeng wouldn’t have arrived already, would he?” “This isn’t good. Coming right when I’m breaking through, Ba Zun’an still has to protect me. This ties up two people. Is it really Kong Yuhan’s conspiracy?” “No, I need to find a way to inform Li Fugui and arrange matters in the Five Regions...”

Xu Xiaoshou called out to "Ba Zun’an" in his mind. In the past, it had always worked; Ba Zun’an would respond whenever called. This time, there was no movement at all, as if the world he was in was completely isolated from the Ancient and Modern Forgetful Pavilion, beyond the reach of even Ba Zun’an and Kong Yuhan. “What if I trace Ba Zun’an from the River of Time and have him keep an eye on the Five Regions?” Thinking this, Xu Xiaoshou stepped lightly, effortlessly summoning the River of Time. He was about to step into the River of Time again, but unexpectedly, as soon as the river appeared, it instantly merged with the continuously evolving four-sided platform world.

Xu Xiaoshou felt as if he had been struck by lightning. He felt himself black out.

When he opened his eyes again, the four-sided platform world was gone; he had traveled to another "space." In the dim void, three ancient doors stood before him. The doors had no frames, embedded in the unknown void, their leaves closed. Only faint light shone through narrow gaps, hinting at mystery and enticing one to step forward, open them, and touch the unknown.

“What is this...” Xu Xiaoshou stepped forward, looked down at his feet, and realized he still had a physical body. “Roar!” He transformed, finding that the Limit Giant could still be used. This meant all his passive skills were still active, and with the Berserk Golden Body, he had a chance for a second rebirth. He tried again, and his spiritual essence, holy power, transcendent divine sense, and the power of names were all usable, without any restrictions.

“It’s safe.” Xu Xiaoshou’s heart string relaxed slightly, but he dared not let down his guard. He clenched his fists, approached the first ancient door, and without hesitation, pushed it open.

“Ohm-squeak—” The ancient, heavy door let out a hair-raising roar like a tiger and dragon. After it opened, it was merely a screen of light, obscuring what lay behind. Well, he was already here... Xu Xiaoshou paused for only a breath, then stepped into the first door.

“You’ve arrived.” A gentle call awakened him. It was like waking up in a warm embrace, making one involuntarily let out a comfortable sigh.

“Hmm.” “Hmm?” Xu Xiaoshou opened his eyes, then blinked them sharply, feeling cautious. But after entering, there seemed to be no danger. What he saw was a "fairyland" shrouded in mist. A stream gurgled, but no stream was visible. Cranes cried out, but no cranes were seen.

Xu Xiaoshou stood on a blue stone slab. Looking around, he saw a sky bridge, a white bridge truly suspended above a sea of clouds, full of holiness, bringing peace to one's heart. And looking forward along the white jade railing, he could see a pavilion partially concealed within the clouds. The pavilion was open on all four sides, with four jade pillars, and a stone platform in the center, on which lay an ancient zither. The ancient zither was dusty, untouched for a long time. Behind the zither, a person stood with their back to him, gazing at the sea of clouds. They wore a pale gold robe embroidered with chi-dragon patterns, stood eight feet tall, with black hair tied with a wooden hairpin, sleeves hanging loose, appearing ethereal like an immortal.

Xu Xiaoshou opened his mouth but made no sound. The person waited for a moment, then sighed again: “You’ve arrived.” This time, Xu Xiaoshou detected three parts of wistfulness, three parts of emotion, and four parts of release, as if having witnessed countless changes over time.

What is this... Why is there a person here? Are you the Time Ancestor? Xu Xiaoshou looked around, saw the door was gone, and narrowed his eyes slightly, wondering if he could use the River of Time to go back and avoid this person.

“You’ve arrived.” The person spoke a third time, with a hint of displeasure in their voice. Xu Xiaoshou straightened his expression, no longer daring to be negligent. He adopted a solemn tone and said: “I’ve arrived, but you’ve aged.”

The person’s back seemed to stiffen slightly. They didn't turn around, but said with a hint of surprise: “You remember?” Remember what? I don’t know anything! Xu Xiaoshou hated such pretentious people the most, just like Dao Qiongcang. He slowly shook his head and sighed: “Perhaps I remember, but you seem to have forgotten.”

Hearing this, the person was silent for a long time, then let out a chuckle: “You’re still the same...”

He really has seen me! What Xu Xiaoshou gathered was that this person might be an old acquaintance, but he himself had completely forgotten them? Why? What was he waiting for? After pushing the door open, why was it him again, and not someone else?

His Adam’s apple bobbed slightly. Xu Xiaoshou deliberated his words, then probed indirectly: “Cao Yihan, why are you...” The person’s figure trembled. Xu Xiaoshou quickly corrected himself: “Oh, I got it wrong. Ba Zun’an...” The person seemed to have an impulse to turn around, but clearly suppressed it, remaining with their back to him. What’s with the pretense, just turn around... Xu Xiaoshou felt the pressure: “Kong Yuhan, Kong Yuhan, how could I not recognize you!”

The person became still. Surprisingly, they didn’t refute him either. So it really was Kong Yuhan, or perhaps the Time Ancestor formed by the fusion of all Kong Yuhan’s across the River of Time? Then, where was this place?

After hesitating for a moment, Xu Xiaoshou decided to stop pretending to understand and asked seriously: “Actually, I know nothing about this place, Brother Jiao... er, Brother Yuhan, could you enlighten me?”

“What do you wish to know?” The figure’s back seemed approachable, so Xu Xiaoshou asked directly: “Where is this?”

“The Time Realm.”

“What?” This time, Xu Xiaoshou genuinely couldn’t suppress his surprise. The Time Realm, wasn’t it supposed to be unreconstructed yet? If this was the Time Realm, what exactly was Kong Yuhan at the Ancient and Modern Forgetful Pavilion busy with?

“Brother Yuhan, could you elaborate a little?”

“You can also consider it the Celestial Realm within the Time Realm, perhaps the Thirty-Third Heaven.”

Celestial Realm... Xu Xiaoshou looked around again. The sound of gurgling streams, the cries of cranes, birds singing and flowers blooming, an earthly paradise. Yet, apart from the sea of clouds, the sky bridge, and the pavilion ahead, he couldn’t see any of the other things he could hear.

“This is fake, isn’t it?” Xu Xiaoshou frowned.

“When the fake becomes real, the real is also fake. For time, truth and falsehood don’t matter, only sequence.” The figure’s back slightly shook their head. “Past, future, take a guess.”

Is this the past? Or the future? Xu Xiaoshou listed what he had asked and what he had received, but couldn’t deduce an answer. So he said: “Brother Yuhan, it’s been a long time since I heard you call my name...”

The figure’s back seemed to smile, not equivocating, but responding: “What do you want me to call you, Ancestor Xu?” As soon as that word was spoken, Xu Xiaoshou felt he had the answer: this must be the future! “Or Ancestor Name?” The figure’s back spoke again. Xu Xiaoshou seemed to see himself becoming an Ancestor God in the future; a smile spread across his face: “This is the future.”

The figure in front of the pavilion slowly shook their head: “This is the past. You opened the door of the past. You and I meet at the source of the River of Time.” The sound of flowing water by his ear became clearer. Xu Xiaoshou’s pupils widened, but he still couldn’t see the River of Time anywhere. He stepped on the Time Dao Disk. The Great Dao Disk appeared, but the River of Time remained unseen. The brilliant array diagram of profound mysteries covered the sky bridge, the pavilion, and the sea of clouds as far as the eye could see. The figure’s back lowered their head, gazing at the Dao patterns on the ground, and softly murmured: “The Great Dao Disk.”

Yes, this is indeed the Great Dao Disk... No, how do you recognize this as the "Great Dao Disk"? This isn't... Xu Xiaoshou shuddered at the thought. The three words "Great Dao Disk" were clearly a term given by the Passive System. People in the world should call it the Time Profound Mystery Array Diagram. Even if Zhong Yuanzi came, his definition for this thing was only "Great Dao Diagram."

“You have indeed forgotten a lot.” The figure in front of the pavilion didn’t turn around, yet seemed able to clearly see all of Xu Xiaoshou’s reactions. They slowly raised a hand. A finger bent. A pale golden light shot out, striking Xu Xiaoshou directly between his eyebrows. He couldn’t dodge it.

“What are you doing... Ow!” Xu Xiaoshou covered his forehead and staggered back, feeling a throbbing pain on his forehead, as if someone had flicked it hard. When he lowered his hand, his head felt swollen, as if something had been injected into it. His thoughts converged, and he looked within his Purple Mansion Primordial Court. Below the Passive System, there was an additional golden pearl, exuding an ancient space-time aura.

“What is this?” Xu Xiaoshou didn’t sense any malice from this figure, Kong Yuhan, but he was wary of the golden pearl. “Take it out and see.” Getting the response, Xu Xiaoshou thought, and a golden pearl appeared in his hand. “This is the Source of Space-Time. I promised to give it to you, but you came late. Now it’s somewhat incomplete, with only the power to trace everything back to its origin.”

Trace back... Is it a forced reversal, or a temporary return to origin, then reverting to its original state afterwards? Could he use it on Calamity Eye, turn it into a Calamity Eye baby, and then kill the Calamity Eye while it’s in baby form? “What can it trace back?” Xu Xiaoshou asked, holding the pearl. “Everything.” You’ve answered, yet you haven’t. Xu Xiaoshou was baffled.

In a trance, he remembered a crucial point he had almost overlooked amidst the banter. “This is the past?” Xu Xiaoshou pointed at his feet. The figure in front of the pavilion nodded slightly, then remained silent, as if annoyed by Xu Xiaoshou constantly asking questions that already had answers. More doubts filled Xu Xiaoshou’s mind. If this was the past, then this figure, Kong Yuhan, had just called him "Ancestor Xu" and "Ancestor Name." How did that make sense? His past self had already reached the Ancestor God Realm? The first one, Xu Xiaoshou could interpret as a compliment. For example, he could call Ba Zun’an "Ancestor Ba" when he saw him—though this figure seemed to have no need to flatter him. But "Ancestor Name"... He had only begun cultivating the Way of Names half a year ago. If this figure, Kong Yuhan, wasn't lying, then in the past, he already had the title "Ancestor Name"? Then why was there no "Ancestor Name" among the Ten Ancestors?

“I’m a little confused right now...” Xu Xiaoshou actually didn’t know what to ask, or where to start. As expected, the Time Ancestor Kong Yuhan should not be met. Seeing him only caused more anxiety. He was the Ancestor of Anxiety!

Boom— The sea of clouds suddenly trembled. The surrounding environment showed signs of crumbling. In front of the pavilion, the figure’s back remained motionless, not turning around, only sighing softly: “No time left. The Source of Space-Time can trace back the essence of everything. Start by looking for answers from the turntable.”

Turntable... While Xu Xiaoshou was still wondering what turntable, there was a deafening boom, and this past Time Realm disintegrated.

Darkness. Chaos. Faint light.

Xu Xiaoshou opened his eyes and found himself back in the void, standing before the doors again. However, there were no longer three doors, only two remaining. Everything just now felt like a fleeting dream, his memories somewhat fading, yet the golden pearl in his hand was incredibly real.

“Brother Anxiety, you truly make people anxious...” Xu Xiaoshou mused, the turntable he mentioned, could it be the Passive System? The Source of Space-Time in his hand, could it trace back the essence of the Passive System, revealing everything and finding answers? Looking at it this way, he wouldn’t even need to trade with the Demon Ancestor. And indeed, not only did the Demon Ancestor know about the "turntable," but even the Time Ancestor Kong Yuhan from the past Time Realm knew about the "turntable"?

“Trace back...” Holding the golden pearl, Xu Xiaoshou hesitated again. Was this a trap? Should he press this golden pearl onto the Passive System to see what the turntable’s past was like?

“Wait, this doesn’t seem to be the main point...” Xu Xiaoshou then remembered that Hua Changdeng should have arrived. He felt a headache, as if he had forgotten something. But he should inform Ba Zun’an. How to find Ba Zun’an?

“Ba Zun’an!” His call went unanswered. Then he could only use time regression. Xu Xiaoshou’s mind stirred. He stepped on the Time Dao Disk and saw the River of Time flowing gently in the distance. As the River of Time extended past the light door, before he could react, the second light door opened on its own, and a great burst of light from within sucked him inside.

“Woah...”