After passing through a vast expanse of mist-like white, the two arrived in an alien space, a boundless expanse of land beneath a brilliant starry sky.
The stars in the sky were vast and endless, each containing the power of the laws of time, twinkling and pulsing.
He Li’s expression changed slightly. Cheng Xilin noticed He Li’s abnormality and looked at him questioningly.
He Li steadied his mind and slowly said, “The starry sky above us is the trace of every living being that has ever existed in the river of time. Each star is the process of a living being from birth to death, a history, a life.”
Upon hearing this, Cheng Xilin frowned and looked up. The sky full of stars seemed like countless eyes gazing down at him.
He Li continued, “There is mine here, but not yours.”
Cheng Xilin looked at He Li, fell silent for a moment, and said bitterly, “So, I’m really not from this world?”
He Li did not answer, or rather, did not know how to answer. The answer was obvious.
Boom!
Suddenly, a beam of light shot down from the starry sky. Immediately after, two more beams of light descended, stopping in front of the two. As the halos dispersed, three young maidens appeared. Each of them held a golden-yellow talisman in their hands – a Time Edict.
Cheng Xilin said impatiently, “These guys never learn. They know they’re no match for us, yet they come looking for death.”
“You don’t need to make a move. I’ll handle them. You go over there,” He Li said, pointing to a spot in the starry sky.
Cheng Xilin did not hesitate and leaped away.
The three Time Envoys did not stop Cheng Xilin; their target was only He Li, who had mastered the laws of time.
“He Li, we’ll give you one more chance. Accept the Time Edict and become our Master’s envoy, and you shall live. Otherwise, your Divine King realm divine power will be extinguished, and your era will end here,” the Time Envoy said coldly, looking at He Li.
“Heh…”
He Li couldn’t help but let out a sneer. He extended his hand, and blood-red patterns floated in his palm, like blood vessels and meridians, forming the Corrupted Blood Forest Great Saber. “How come I didn’t know there was an era that belonged to me?”
He Li’s meaning was clear. Just as Cheng Xilin had said, He Li was like him – extremely cold-blooded yet with a hint of warmth, never purely one or the other. But one thing was certain: neither of them was the type to willingly submit to others.
After speaking, He Li fell silent, allowing the three Time Edicts to spin around him, encircling him. Time flowed, fast and slow, forming temporal turbulence. A strange power pressed in on He Li. He knew it was the power of laws.
Before, when I couldn't touch the sky, I thought the sky was very high.
Now that I can touch it, it turns out the sky isn't that high.
After overcoming all obstacles and reaching this point, would I still be willing to be a dog at someone else’s feet in the end?
Star God Power emanated from He Li’s body. He also utilized the laws of time, stirring the three Time Edicts. The collision of the laws of time stirred up a thin, misty vapor around them. Time flowed within the mist. He swung his great saber and charged towards the three Time Envoys.
In the starry sky, Cheng Xilin unleashed his boundless electromagnetic force. White arcs of electricity spread like wandering snakes to every corner. He was searching for the Lord of Time, as well as his teacher, his teacher’s wife, Teacher Jiang, Cheng You, and the stars of Changqing Mountain.
Rumble!!!
Cheng Xilin heard a deafening roar. He glanced down and saw He Li fiercely battling the three Time Envoys. Though he wished to help, he could not. A large amount of white mist swirled around him; he was trapped by the temporal turbulence. All he could do was use his Star God Power to drive his electromagnetic force, attempting to disrupt and decompose the temporal turbulence.
The surrounding stars were affected, shattering one by one and turning into specks of starlight.
Standing there, Cheng Xilin seemed to see the past, present, and future of everyone. It felt as if by standing there, he possessed the most powerful and unsolvable force in the world. Finally, his electromagnetic force reached the end of the starry sky. There, he felt a deathly stillness, very dim, full of deathly aura.
In the dim void, the Lord of Time sat in meditation.
Before Cheng Xilin could approach, an incredibly massive Star-Devouring Beast appeared in the higher void. Cheng Xilin snorted and said, “Star-Devouring Beast King, do you really think I dare not kill you?”
In the void, the Star-Devouring Beast King spoke, its voice ancient and muffled, with a hint of sadness, “Why wouldn’t you dare? When you were still human, thirteen great Heavenly Emperors of the demon race died at your hands. You absorbed half the demonic power of the last three supreme beings, then entered the Cosmic God Realm and destroyed epoch after epoch of civilization. What is there that you dare not do?”
Cheng Xilin’s face turned ashen, “Even so, you still intend to stop me?”
“Naturally. We, the Star-Devouring Beast race, are the guards of the Lord of Time, so we must stop you. Cheng Xilin, you do not belong to this world, and there are no historical traces of your existence here. Your struggles are all in vain. Even if you kill the Lord of Time, your loved ones cannot be unsealed because you do not belong to this world. Therefore, even if you succeed, the laws of this world will not be used by you.”
“In the end, you will be left alone. You, who do not belong to this world, are destined to be lonely.”
“In the end, only myself will remain…” Cheng Xilin murmured softly, the words piercing his heart echoing in his mind. Even someone as powerful and invincible as him feared loneliness. His unshakeable heart also showed fluctuations – sadness, desolation, loneliness.
His gaze seemed to pierce through eternity, returning to that era. Familiar smiling faces flashed before his eyes. Recalling the past, he was so full of spirit, but now he was like a lonely ghost wandering the world without support.
Just as Cheng Xilin was sinking into a state of loneliness.
Chii!
A streak of bloody saber light flashed, cleaving open the white mist that enveloped Cheng Xilin’s eyes. The blood-red saber edge stopped in front of Cheng Xilin’s forehead. A moment more, and it would have struck his head.
“You’ve been trapped by the vision of worldly reincarnation, don’t fall for it!” He Li’s voice rang out, startling Cheng Xilin.
Cheng Xilin’s heart tightened, and he felt a chill of fear. He then looked up and said, “I know. You can move your saber away now, it’s quite dangerous.”
“Hmph!”
He Li snorted coldly, “And you call yourself someone who bragged about single-handedly clearing nineteen epoch eras? To be so easily trapped by a temporal vision, stop bragging from now on, alright? I’m embarrassed for you.”
Cheng Xilin’s old face flushed red. He ignored He Li and turned to face the three Time Envoys who were pursuing him. He casually extended his right hand and lightly squeezed towards them. Countless arcs of electricity enveloped the three Time Envoys, and in an instant, the three young maidens turned to dust, vanishing into nothingness.
…