Chapter 555 - 513: A Dream of 30 Years (2)

Chapter 555: Chapter 513: A Dream of 30 Years (2)

’Even if the Demon Race occupies the Five Domains, they can’t possibly control every inch of territory. With the Star Palace Secret Realm and a mask to hide my identity, it wouldn’t be hard to go into seclusion and focus on cultivation.’

’But if the Demon Race really slaughters its way to the Northern Domain, and the Qingfeng Sect and the Bai Family face annihilation, Bai Zichen knows he wouldn’t be able to just stand by.’

’He would still take up his sword to carve out a peaceful haven for the people and things he cherishes.’

"Behind me are the events of the past, and before me should be a glimpse of the future. Why is it completely blank...?"

Bai Zichen sensed something was wrong. The River of Time reflected the past and future, so by rights, different versions of himself should exist at every node.

His past self was already a reality, but his future self still held infinite possibilities. These were the most likely scenarios to appear within the River of Time.

’Is it because I cultivate the Time Path that the River of Time is useless against me and can’t show the future? Or is there some other profound mechanism at play...’

He thought of Shan Zhi from the Evil Fate Sect. When he tried to divine his own Destiny Plate, it was also a field of Chaos, impossible to calculate.

Bai Zichen faintly grasped something and continued walking along the River of Time.

With every step he took, several illusory ’selves’ flew toward him and merged into his body.

As his figure strolled through the River of Time, it grew more and more solid, feeling as if it were about to become a physical entity.

His mind was a blank slate. Any thought that arose would quickly slip away, impossible to recall.

He didn’t know how many steps he had taken or how many ’selves’ had merged with him, but he eventually acted on instinct, activating the only thing suitable for this environment: the Qing Emperor Longevity Sword.

A Time Divine Power that controlled a person’s lifespan was a perfect match for this setting.

The complete version of the Qing Emperor Longevity Sword he had dreamed of day and night—not the clever, disassembled version—was unleashed smoothly and unintentionally.

Moreover, it carved a shallow trace in his Sea of Consciousness, so even if he lost the memory of this event after waking, he would still be able to comprehend it again.

’The difference between this and the simplified version split into three techniques is that this sword can erupt with even more terrifying power in a life-or-death situation... To cut another’s lifespan, you must first reduce your own!’

It still shaved off two hundred years of lifespan with a single strike, no different than before, though perhaps the sword could be drawn a little faster.

After all, it skipped the process of unifying the Wood God Skill, the Sword Nurturing Technique, and the Sword-Encompassing Technique.

However, if the user felt this Supreme Divine Power was still not strong enough—for instance, when dealing with Demon Beasts that possessed long lifespans—

then they could reverse the Time True Intent, burning a hundred years of their own life before harming the enemy, to imbue the Qing Emperor Longevity Sword with an execution effect.

As long as the opponent’s remaining lifespan was less than ten percent of their maximum, they would immediately face the Celestial Five Declines and reach the end of their years.

Take Xiang Banshan, for example. After being struck by the Qing Emperor Longevity Sword, he escaped with less than a hundred years of his lifespan remaining.

But if he had been struck by the authentic Qing Emperor Longevity Sword, that would never have happened; he would have died full of regret at the foot of White Python Mountain that very day.

When the Fish Dragon Sect was destroyed back then, its last Nascent Soul True Monarch must have relied on this very sword to drag a Tier Four Nine-Headed Xuan Turtle down with him before he died.

’Just one strike costs a hundred years of my own life. How many times could even a Nascent Soul True Monarch afford to use it? ...Unless it’s against a Great Demon I can’t possibly defeat otherwise. First, I’d strike with the regular Qing Emperor Longevity Sword, then finish it with the full version of the Sword of Time. Shaving off four hundred years of lifespan in total... I wonder how many years that Dragon Monarch would have left?’

Among all Demon Beasts, aside from turtles, the Great Demons of the Dragon Race had the longest lifespans.

But the Dragon Monarch had achieved Transformation long ago; a thousand years prior, it was already a Tier Four Top-Grade Great Demon. Four hundred years of life was no small number for it now.

It was only worth using on a Great Demon like that. Against any other opponent, even a Great True Monarch, Bai Zichen felt he would be getting the short end of the stick.

After burning those one hundred years of life, his maximum lifespan would be permanently reduced, dropping from one thousand years to nine hundred.

Unlike an Overdraft Secret Technique, where the consumed lifespan could be replenished through external means.

Even if he took a Life-Extending Spirit Pill, it would only build upon the new nine-hundred-year base. What was lost would never return.

The strict Cultivation Conditions for the Qing Emperor Longevity Sword gave Bai Zichen few opportunities to practice.

And how could practicing in his Sea of Consciousness compare to using it in a real battle?

But the sword had to be stored away for a hundred years at a time. Even for him, a cultivator on the Time Path, it took a full 60-Year Cycle to complete this storage process. How could he possibly practice with it casually?

Therefore, this sword relied purely on its True Intent to overwhelm opponents. Time is merciless; who could stand against the River of Time?

No one would pay attention to the finesse of the Sword Control or the circulation of the Divine Techniques, and no cultivator would even get the chance.

Even if they drew the sword once every 60-Year Cycle, it would be a miracle for a Nascent Soul True Monarch to use it ten times in their entire life. How could they possibly master a Supreme Divine Power to perfectly match their own Sword Path?

But in his current profound and mysterious state, Bai Zichen could activate the Qing Emperor Longevity Sword without restriction, over and over again.

He had truly achieved a state where time was like a sword, and every strike aged his foe.

If he could reach this level in reality, he would dare to slay even a Divinity Transformation Great Power.

Tireless and unaware of the passage of time, his understanding of the Power of Time grew deeper and deeper in this strange state.

Even his physical body, lying unconscious on the ground, was automatically circulating the Fire Dragon Returning Essence Scripture, absorbing and expelling True Essence, and refining Fire Element Spiritual Power.

His Cultivation was slowly advancing, all on its own.

The True Essence circulated through his limbs and meridians on its own, without anyone controlling it, and not a single thing went wrong.

Time flew, and in a dream, thirty years passed.

...

「Star Palace Secret Realm Hall」

The hall, which had been silent for a long time, hosted a long-awaited gathering of the Star Lords.

Po Jun Star Monarch sat cross-legged beneath a divine statue, gently wiping a Bronze Ancient Sword in his hand.

This pair of Tier Three Dual Swords was stained with specks of blood that could not be wiped clean, leaving faint dark red marks on the blades.

He lifted the Bronze Ancient Sword, and in the starlight shining down from the hall’s ceiling, he could clearly see the numerous nicks on the blade.

They were small, hairline cracks, but to the eyes of a Sword Cultivator, they were as obvious as the blazing sun overhead.

"You’ve been with me for hundreds of years, and this is what you get. I’ve failed you..."

Although Po Jun Star Monarch’s Dual Swords were only at Tier Three, their hardness when used in Dual Swords Unification was no less than Tier Four.

For them to end up in this state showed what a brutal battle they had been through.

"Taiyin is here. Mid-Stage Nascent Soul... You’ve gotten ahead of us."

Another person walked into the hall. It was the Deity of the Moon, her movements graceful, having just emerged from seclusion after Breaking Realm.

After decades of hard work, she had truly succeeded in breaking through at one stroke, becoming the only Mid-Stage Nascent Soul cultivator in the Star Palace.

Thinking about the Deity of the Moon’s real identity, and how she was several hundred years younger than him, a bittersweet feeling welled up in Po Jun Star Monarch’s heart.

"I was just lucky to take a step ahead. There were so many difficulties along the way, I almost gave up..."

The Deity of the Moon’s attitude hadn’t changed just because her Cultivation was now higher.

"I just didn’t expect such a great upheaval to occur in the Cultivation Realm while I was in seclusion. The Eastern Domain has fallen, and several Great True Monarchs died just to barely hold the Demon Race back at the Jishui River."

"These are difficult times, which just goes to show you are blessed by fortune... If you had been a few years later, I’m afraid you wouldn’t have had the right state of mind to enter seclusion and assault the bottleneck. This breakthrough to the Mid-Stage Nascent Soul would have been delayed for a long time."

Po Jun Star Monarch’s tone was light, but he knew in his heart that he was also saying these words to himself.

He had missed the best time for seclusion. The current situation left him no opportunity to adjust his state of mind for a breakthrough.

A moment later, Jumeng Star Star Monarch, Tianliang Star Monarch, and Tiann Xiang Star Monarch arrived at the hall in succession.

Five of the six Star Lords of the Star Palace had now arrived.

The five of them sat in a circle, and Po Jun Star Monarch was the first to speak.

"In this time of great war, I am deeply relieved to see all you Star Lords safe and sound... First, I must congratulate Fellow Daoist Taiyin on her successful breakthrough. You have taken another step along the Great Dao. This is truly worthy of celebration."

"We haven’t held a gathering for several decades out of necessity. The fighting has eased slightly in the past two years, so we finally have the time. Unfortunately, Ziwei Star Star Monarch has not responded and is absent from this gathering."

"Since the Demon Race landed, many Nascent Soul True Monarchs have fallen. Don’t tell me Ziwei has become one of them?"

Jumeng Star Star Monarch was hunched over as if he couldn’t straighten his back. Even through his mask, the unconcealable pain on his face was visible.

"If he had fallen in battle, his mask would have automatically returned to the divine statue. Since everything is normal, it means Ziwei Star Star Monarch is occupied with something. Perhaps, like Taiyin, he is in seclusion seeking a breakthrough."

Po Jun Star Monarch knew Ziwei Star Star Monarch’s real identity and was well aware of his true strength.

Among the Demon Race, probably only the mysterious Dragon Monarch, with his Exotic Treasure, could be guaranteed to defeat him. He would never die without a sound.

Given his long absence and the strength he had demonstrated, he might really be in the middle of Breaking Realm.