Xu Ying entered the Landscape Heaven-Measuring Ruler once more. All around him, rolling mountains and flowing waters stretched out without end. The Landscape Heaven-Measuring Ruler was a Supreme-grade treasure whose internal domain was truly boundless. No matter how long one flew in a single direction, one would never reach its edge.
Whenever someone flew forward, the space ahead continually derived and extended itself, unfolding ever more landscapes before their eyes.
*Qiongtai is truly an extraordinary woman.*
Xu Ying sighed inwardly with admiration. As he searched through the expanse, his peripheral vision caught sight of a surging, endlessly rushing great river.
On the far bank of that river, a woman in white appeared before his eyes. Her bearing was peerless and her beauty exquisite, like a beloved maiden just beyond the waters.
The fairy possessed a breathtaking, quiet beauty. Yet whenever Xu Ying turned his head to look directly at her, neither she nor the great river was anywhere to be seen.
Xu Ying looked out of the corner of his eye once more, trying to pinpoint the location of that River of Time. Suddenly, he noticed that other figures stood beside the white-robed woman on the opposite shore!
"Mother!"
Xu Ying was both startled and overjoyed. "Fairy Gushe is there too, and Master Yuan Tiangang! How could they be here?"
The moment his gaze focused on them, the River of Time vanished, and the four silhouettes disappeared without a trace.
Xu Ying's heart pounded with excitement. Those figures just now were indeed Lan Suying and the others!
Before heading to the Mortal Realm, he had met Xu Jing and learned that his mother, Lan Suying, along with Fairy Gushe and Yuan Tiangang, had become living dead after losing their consciousness. He had originally thought he would have to defeat the Immortal Emperor Supreme to force the location of their consciousness from him.
Little did he expect that the Immortal Emperor Supreme had actually sealed Lan Suying and the others across the River of Time, together with Fairy Qiongtai!
Making a prompt decision, Xu Ying summoned the Taiyi Divine Bridge. A golden bridge materialized and reached across toward the far bank of the River of Time.
The moment the bridge appeared, the surrounding spacetime and heaven-and-earth resolved into black and yellow Xuanhuang Qi, roaring as it fell beneath the bridge. The infinite expanse inside the Landscape Heaven-Measuring Ruler rapidly flowed downward, turning into an endlessly surging river.
Whenever the waves crashed against the void, stretches of picturesque mountains and rivers leaped out from the foam. Yet in the very next instant, those peaks and waterways fell back beneath the bridge, plunging into the waters once more.
The space within the Landscape Heaven-Measuring Ruler collapsed at blistering speed. Even if the ruler was claimed to be immeasurable—constantly extending and producing more terrain—it could not match the rate of collapse!
Standing on the bridge, Xu Ying saw the ends of the surrounding world come into view. At the horizons, peaks and rivers were birthed continuously, only to be dragged into the Taiyi Divine Bridge.
This divine bridge was Xu Ying's first Supreme-level divine power, connecting Wuji and Taiji. Taiji was composed of Xuanhuang Qi, and the core of the Landscape Heaven-Measuring Ruler was also Xuanhuang Qi!
Thus, the ruler's variations were completely counteracted by the Taiyi Divine Bridge.
As Xu Ying stood on the bridge, the Taiyi Divine Bridge slowly stretched toward the opposite shore, drawing closer and closer to Qiongtai, Lan Suying, and the others!
Standing at the head of the bridge, he felt as though he were traversing ancient eras. Countless visions rushed at him and clamorous voices assaulted his ears, trying to disrupt his dao heart.
Beneath the bridge, he even saw the battle between himself and the Immortal Emperor at the Heavenly Abyss. It seemed as though jumping off the golden bridge into the river would allow him to return to the past and undo his defeat.
He also saw the Master of Niwan Palace harvesting all the anglers and chives, as if leaping off the bridge would let him stop that tragedy from unfolding.
He saw Yuzhu Peak in Kunlun, where the Queen Mother of the West unsealed Yuan Weiyang and awakened Fairy Zitong. It felt as though jumping down would allow him to save Yuan Weiyang.
He saw himself across various past lives: performing wedding bows with Feng Xue'er, boarding the overseas vessel with Xu Fu, bidding a life-and-death farewell to Yan Bao'er, and hatching Jin Buyi.
He saw his very first life, his defeat on the Heavenly Road, and the bloody tragedy of Kunlun.
It seemed as if leaping into any point in time would grant him the power to return to the past and reshape the future!
Yet Xu Ying did not move an inch. All of this was merely an illusion conjured by the River of Time. Even if he jumped, he could not change history.
He continued channeling his magic power, watching time flow in reverse. He witnessed the Heavenly Venerable constructing the Heavenly Dao World, saw the rise of the Primordial Lady, and watched the Emperor ascend.
The river surged beneath the bridge, and time pressed forward, peeling back the veil of ages to reveal a magnificent tapestry of the Six Venerables and Twelve Wonders vying for the orthodox rule of the world.
*Almost there, almost there!*
Xu Ying looked across. The Taiyi Divine Bridge was only a few steps away from the opposite bank!
***
The vessel built by Daoist Yuji sailed far swifter than before. After ten or so days, the Immortal Emperor and his entourage had covered half the distance.
The Immortal Emperor Supreme came to the bow of the ship and gazed at the star rivers bordering the great river. He said languidly, "Only three months remain until our duel. I wonder how far that boy's cultivation has progressed."
Dao Lord Luofu flattered him, "Xu Ying could not defeat Mingzun in his first life, so how could he possibly do so in this one?"
The Immortal Emperor Supreme smiled. "He is the Dao Ancestor of the new Dao, after all. He cannot be underestimated."
Fairy Huoling chuckled. "Dao Ancestor of the new Dao or not, was he not still harvested by Your Majesty? Now he will simply be harvested once more."
The Immortal Emperor smiled faintly. Suddenly, a premonition struck his heart. His expression changed drastically, and he cried out in shock, "Audacious brat, to dare break my divine power! If I hadn't sensed it, you might have succeeded!"
While the others on the ship watched in bewilderment, the Immortal Emperor Supreme stomped heavily. The surrounding heaven and earth shifted abruptly, and another vast, roaring river surged into being!
Looking at this river, the Creation Supreme murmured, "Delving long into karma inevitably touches upon time. Mingzun has actually reached this step! He has truly carved out his own path."
***
At the other end of the River of Time, Lan Suying and the others were bored to tears. They had been stranded here for six years. However novel it had seemed at first and however mysterious the River of Time was, they were utterly sick of it.
"Don't worry, Ying'er will definitely come to save us," Lan Suying reassured them.
Fairy Qiongtai's face fell slightly. "Your son is most likely dead. He cannot overcome Meng Shanming. Meng Shanming's foresight and cunning far surpass yours; every single move he makes is meticulously calculated. Do you know who banished me here? It was Meng Shanming."
Recalling the past, she said, "Back when we besieged Qingxuan, he died by my hand. I crushed his skull with the Heaven-Measuring Ruler. Meng Shanming must have seen me as his master's murderer. Taking advantage of the infighting among the Six Venerables and Twelve Wonders, he turned his sights on me. Six hundred thousand years ago, he could only exile me one day outside the River of Time, yet today, they could send all of you six hundred thousand years into the past."
Just as she spoke, a thick fog began to rise over the river's surface. Something seemed to be stirring up storms within the mist, accompanied by strange, hollow rumblings.
"Xu Ying, so it is you! You dare try to unravel my divine power?"
The Immortal Emperor's booming voice rang from the fog, echoing from the distant future. "Since you sought fit to journey to the past, I shall grant your wish and leave you stranded here forever!"
Lan Suying, Yuan Tiangang, and Fairy Gushe blanched, staring toward the mist in alarm.
Suddenly, they felt a terrifying divine power surge from the far future, blasting toward the mist. Even after being eroded by the River of Time, its might remained unimaginably immense!
*Boom—*
A violent tremor shook the river, and a familiar voice called out from the mist: "Mingzun, have you forgotten? Only Supremes are untainted by karma because they can briefly leap out of the River of Time. I walk upon the river without falling into time itself. How can your divine power from six hundred thousand years in the future harm me?"
"My son!"
Lan Suying was overjoyed. She beamed at Fairy Qiongtai and said, "He isn't married yet! I can introduce you two!"
Within the mist, two colossal forces seemed to clash in savage combat, leaving the four on the bank on edge, uncertain of the outcome.
Suddenly, the tall silhouette of an elderly man emerged within the fog, walking from the end of time toward the present—a manifestation of the Immortal Emperor!
The Immortal Emperor Supreme was actually attempting to traverse time directly, intending to step onto the river and crush Xu Ying in person!
All at once, surges of vitality and blood exploded within the fog, sweeping out in all directions. To Lan Suying and the others, it felt as though countless suns had detonated inside the haze!
*Boom!*
A fist thrust out from the mist, tearing the dense fog to shreds and blowing it completely away as it met the Immortal Emperor Supreme's approaching form!
The Immortal Emperor Supreme raised his hand to block the blow. Across hundreds of thousands of years of time, the mist cleared entirely.
Fairy Qiongtai, Lan Suying, and the others peered across the River of Time, and everything became crystal clear. A tall youth stood atop a golden bridge. Around sixteen or seventeen years old, his features had matured, carrying an air of heroic vitality.
At the far end of the river stood the weathered, aging Immortal Emperor, Meng Shanming.
The shattered mist seemed to sever the Immortal Emperor's path, preventing him from reaching the past to confront Xu Ying in person.
Old and young stared at each other across the gulf of time.
After a moment, the Immortal Emperor Supreme turned and retreated, his silhouette vanishing into the haze.
The heroic youth strode to the end of the golden bridge, his gaze falling upon Lan Suying and the others, filled with gentleness.
Standing on the bridge, he extended his hand toward them with a warm smile. "Mother, I've come to bring you home."
One after another, they stepped onto the golden bridge. Qiongtai took Xu Ying's hand as well and was pulled onto the bridge.
Once he had pulled her up, Xu Ying turned and embraced Lan Suying tightly, refusing to let go for a long time.
Qiongtai quietly observed Xu Ying's profile, her heart fluttering. *He looks just like the man of my dreams.*
Beneath the bridge, shifting scenes from the River of Time unfolded as past history marched steadily forward. The golden bridge contracted, bearing them back toward the present shore.
***
On the River of Spiritual Light, the Immortal Emperor Supreme's face was dark as the River of Time faded into nothingness.
He had intended to step into the river and slay Xu Ying on the other end, but Xu Ying had preempted him, destroying his passage and leaving him unable to descend.
"Xu Ying's cultivation is advancing even faster than I anticipated," the Immortal Emperor Supreme muttered to himself. Behind him, no one dared utter a word. "His cultivation realm has likely reached the bodhimanda realm of the new system, yet his raw strength is comparable to a Grand Luo Golden Immortal. He improves far too fast..."
Looking grave, he exhaled a breath of stale air and mused aloud, "I set a date for a decisive battle with him. But if an unfortunate accident befalls him before that day comes, I suppose I could only sigh in regret."
The moment he said this, the Creation Supreme and the others understood.
The Immortal Emperor was subtly hinting that they should eliminate Xu Ying before the duel!
***
On Yuxu Peak in Kunlun, Xu Jing had remained on the mountain over these years, rebuilding Xujiaping brick by brick. By now, Xujiaping and the imperial palace were mostly restored. He had even ventured into the Realm of the Void to capture the severed divine bridge, reconnecting Kunlun's God Bridge.
The Divine Mother and the other Penglai immortals had looked after Lan Suying, Fairy Gushe, and Yuan Tiangang on his behalf. Yet six years had passed, and Lan Suying and the others had still not awakened.
The Divine Mother had performed divination after divination, but could never divine where their consciousness had gone. She could only heave a sigh.
Suddenly, Lan Suying's eyes fluttered open. She smiled and asked, "Senior Sister Feng, why do you sigh?"
Stunned, the Divine Mother turned to look. Lan Suying was already sitting up, while Fairy Gushe and Yuan Tiangang were groggily coming around as well.
The Divine Mother was overjoyed and laughed. "How did you come back to life? Where did the Immortal Emperor imprison you? Tell me quickly! I've been calculating for six whole years... Old Heavenly Venerable Xu! Old Heavenly Venerable Xu! Your wife is awake, hurry over here—!"
In the distance, Xu Jing was piecing together the God Bridge at the mountain peak. Hearing her shout, he bolted over like a streak of lightning.
***
Elsewhere, Fairy Qiongtai slowly regained consciousness as well. Opening her eyes, she found herself kneeling before a crystal coffin. Luminous night pearls hung all around, illuminating the burial chamber as bright as day.
Fairy Qiongtai straightened her back. Inside the crystal coffin, the corpse of Emperor Qingxuan lay peacefully. His face looked just as it had in life, as though he still drew breath.
"Meng Shanming believed I was the chief culprit behind Qingxuan's death, so he buried me alongside Qingxuan. Despising my actions, he made me kneel before Qingxuan's coffin."
Fairy Qiongtai smiled faintly. The Immortal Emperor's thoughts were transparent to her.
"And yet, among the Five Venerables and Twelve Wonders, every single one was a murderer. Why single me out?"
She thought back to those days. She had happened to be one of the leaders of the rebel army, adored and sought after by many, yet she had held no room for romance in her heart.
Her motives had been pure: she merely wished to overthrow the Last Lord of Ziwei and forge a way to live for all common mortals. But when the Holy Venerable, Creation, and the rest moved to slay Emperor Qingxuan, she knew that if she did not strike, she too would be eliminated.
The Holy Venerable and the others had entrusted the final strike against Qingxuan to her, only to later suppress and seal her for that very deed, casting her six hundred thousand years into the past.
"The moment I raised the Heaven-Measuring Ruler against Qingxuan, my actions ceased to be righteous."
She walked out of the burial chamber, breached the tomb doors of Emperor Qingxuan, and stepped outside.
Lush green mountains and clear waters surrounded her in picturesque beauty. Yet this was no immortal blessed land, merely an ordinary, scenic corner of the world.
Fairy Qiongtai glanced back. There was no gravestone before Emperor Qingxuan's mausoleum, but it was kept relatively clean, as though someone frequently swept it. After Emperor Qingxuan's death back then, all records of his existence had been wiped from history.
Had Xu Ying and the others not excavated his past, no one would ever have known that such a human emperor had once lived.
Fairy Qiongtai knelt down, gathered pinches of earth to serve as incense, and offered them before Emperor Qingxuan. She murmured, "I never imagined that I, too, would become intoxicated by power and desire. Dao Brother, the moment I raised my hand against you, desire had already shattered my dao heart."
She rose to her feet. "Yet the price of realizing this was far too great."
With that, she drifted away into the distance.
***
In the Heavenly Dao Ancestral Court, the Landscape Heaven-Measuring Ruler in Xu Ying's hand suddenly trembled slightly. With a sharp whistle, it broke through the void and vanished without a trace.
Xu Ying looked up. Though he did not catch where the ruler had gone, he saw the immensely distant Heavenly Immortal Realm appear across the sky above the Heavenly Dao Ancestral Court.
At this moment, the Ancestral God was casting an art, preparing to seal off the Heavenly Dao of the Earth Immortal Realm to lock away all opportunities for ascension, ensuring that Qi Refiners practicing the new Dao could not ascend even after surviving their tribulations.
Just then, He also sensed something and raised His gaze.
At the breach in the Heavenly Immortal Realm, several dozen mighty dragon experts were pushing a gigantic, emerald-green stone to the edge of the opening, and cast the Emerald Rock down into the depths below!
Chapter 649