Beyond the Timescape

Chapter 1133: Xu Qing Arrives in Space-Time

In the sky over the west, the aurora was like a flowing, rippling river. It was as crimson as blood, staining heaven and earth red, but at the same time, making everything dazzlingly beautiful.

Looking up at it, Xu Qing thought, That’s also a type of canon.

Before, he had simply thought of the aurora as a unique feature of the astronomy of the Fifth Star Ring. But now… it looked different to him. The aurora had countless magical symbols in it, and as they interacted, they formed numerous natural and magical laws, as well as essence and traces of numerous daos. In fact, their interactions even created dao lineaments. All of it nourished the living things and guided the path of cultivation.

It’s the Fifth Star Ring’s version of a heavenly dao. Actually, it surpasses the heavenly daos. It’s materialization of canon that protects the cultivators’ system of cultivation in this star ring. And I imagine that if the Fifth Star Ring tried to expand by waging war on other star rings, it would flow to the battlefield as well. It’s symbolic of the entire Fifth Star Ring.

Before, Xu Qing had been unable to perceive those details, but now he could. What was more, he could now see the twelve stars in the aurora! They were twelve, majestic figures, indescribable and impossible to see clearly.

Those are the twelve heavenly inspectors.

Xu Qing knew that those twelve Lower Immortals were incarnated as stars, and that they could move about within the aurora, to safeguard the areas they oversaw, and to inspect heaven and earth.

In the Fifth Star Ring, there were obviously a total of sixteen immortals that had been dispatched from the Immortal Capital. There was one immortal each in the east, south, west, and north, plus the twelve in the aurora. Of course, that didn’t mean that there were only sixteen Lower Immortals in the Fifth Star Ring. The ferry pilots were also immortals. Besides, there were Lower Immortals in other parts of the Fifth Star Ring star ring as well, not to mention… those in the Immortal Capital.

That was why everyone in the Fifth Star Ring wanted to get to the capital.

Time passed….

Xu Qing looked away from the aurora and scanned his surroundings. He was currently strolling along very calmly. He passed some plains. Time rippled. Plants grew, then withered. It was the same with living beings. The birds and animals on the plains were struck with unusual feelings. In one moment they felt terror, next, they felt blank. After Xu Qing left, everything went back to normal.

He passed some mountains. The mountains blurred as if they were being erased. Then they became clear. The cracks in the rocks behaved similarly. As Xu Qing passed, time and space were thrown into chaos. The cultivators in all the sects and clans there were filled with alarm.

Xu Qing was clearly moving slowly, but in their eyes, he sped by. At the same time, they couldn’t see him. It didn’t matter how they looked around or studied their environment, they were unable to perceive him. All they saw as a shadow obscuring the sky as it passed by.

It was as if they were living in a painting, and Xu Qing was outside the painting, casting his shadow onto it. He was something that surpassed their perceptions and imaginations.

When I enter my space-time state, my personhood goes beyond what they can perceive…. It’s similar to how I couldn’t see the inner nature of the aurora before I possessed my space-time state and canon. Back then, I was the same as these people. I couldn’t comprehend higher levels of personhood. But because of canon and my space-time state, I do qualify to ‘see’ those things.

Xu Qing thought about these things as he went on his way. He passed through many areas, bringing astonishment to one location after another. However, he didn’t interfere anywhere, because after leaving those places, everything went back to normal. The things that were happening stirred his thoughts and helped him get used to his current state.

He had gradually come to realize that in his space-time state, his soul and his thoughts were much freer. Though he could be restrained by higher levels of canon, compared to before, he was vastly freer.

At the same time, he realized that he couldn’t stay in this state for very long.

It wasn’t that his space-time state wasn’t sufficient to the task, but rather, his fleshly body had limits. In fact, he got the feeling that if he didn’t have a fleshly body, he would be able to stay in this state forever.

But he did have a fleshly body, and therefore, his space-time state could only last for a specific time. His fleshly body had almost become superfluous at this point. If he kept his mind and soul in the space-time state for too long, his fleshly body would deteriorate. His life force would fade away, and he would lose his connection to himself.

Having come to this realization, he focused his space-time thoughts on his fleshly body. As a result, he saw the many possible futures of his fleshly body. In most of them, his fleshly body gradually ceased to become a part of him. And eventually, it faded away into heaven and earth.

All of the immortals I’ve seen have fleshly bodies, not just incorporeal wills. What’s more… you need a fleshly body to become an Imperial Sovereign. Becoming a Quasi-Immortal requires an immortal embryo. That’s how you achieve immortal ascension.

In that case… what is this current state of mine? There must be an explanation. Maybe unleashing my eighth extreme brings me so close to transcendence, pushing my personhood so high, that my fleshly body can’t keep up. And that’s what leads to this situation.

Xu Qing continued to analyze the matter as he went along.

The key to resolving this issue is to get to a higher level as soon as possible. Once I become an Imperial Sovereign, everything should work out. Or at the very least, things will get a bit better. To get to the Imperial Sovereign level, a Smoldering God needs to have at least nine worlds. And that means I need to get a ninth extreme….

Xu Qing proceeded in the direction of Li Mengtu. He was in no hurry. Had he been, he could have arrived in front of Li Mengtu in a single step. Instead, he chose to travel slowly.

For one thing, he wanted to acclimate to his eighth extreme and think about what to do going forward. Additionally, he could tell from Li Mengtu’s dao lineaments that he was involved in a deadly battle.

It was a fight between two clans. The two sides were going all out, and some significant injuries had already been inflicted.

Li Mengtu was going to be the deciding factor in victory or defeat. He was currently locked in combat with an old man who was a late Imperial Sovereign. The fighting was intense, but the tide of the battle could reverse at any moment, turning predator into prey.

Xu Qing wasn’t interested in getting involved.

During the dao fight between himself and Li Mengtu, Xu Qing had noted how upright and principled Li Mengtu was when fighting. It was different from most other fights Xu Qing had witnessed. As a result, Xu Qing treated him in like kind.

Xu Qing took his time getting to the fight, and arrived as it was nearing its end. Moving in a manner that the vast majority of cultivators wouldn’t be able to comprehend, he arrived in the mountainous valley where the two clan members were fighting.

He sent his soul into space-time, concealed his fleshly body, and sent his thoughts into the valley. By entering in that manner, he was not visible. No one could perceive him. The only thing someone might sense… was something like a shadow.

It wasn’t a shadow cast on the ground. Rather, it was a shadow that covered everything, regardless of space or time. Whether someone was in the past or the future, the shadow was there. It touched life force itself. As the shadow passed, the cultivators from both clans shivered, and their hearts filled with uncontrollable terror.

Up in midair, Li Mengtu’s expression flickered.

The old man he was fighting looked around, his eyes narrowed and his heart pounding with fear. All of a sudden, he backed up as fast as he could. Like everyone else present, he couldn’t see Xu Qing. He could only sense his shadow. But at the same time, he was unlike other cultivators in that he understood a bit about canon.

He was like a blind person who couldn’t see color, but understood about its existence. The big difference was that color wasn’t dangerous to a blind person. But this old man knew that canon could be deadly. That was why he didn’t hesitate for an instant to flee. He knew that an almighty being with canon could kill him with a mere thought. All he could think to do was get as far away as possible.

Meanwhile, Li Mengtu took a deep breath as he looked at the shapeless and formless shadow. He also knew what he was dealing with. He had no canon, and therefore, had no way to perceive someone who did have canon. But just like the old man, he was aware of what was going on. What was more, even though the legacy in his forehead wasn’t complete, making it impossible for him to use it, it also gave him a certain level of ‘sight’ when it came to canon.

All of the other cultivators present were only able to sense an invisible shadow. But he could see something blurry and distorted, and was even able to make out a very vague outline. It was as if this shadow was outside of the world itself, looking at him.

Heart pounding, he clasped hands and bowed. “I am your humble servant, Li Mengtu. I’m not sure who you are, Senior. What noble errand brings you here?”

“Our dao fight isn’t over, Fellow Daoist Li.” Xu Qing’s voice shook space-time, creating a tempest that swept through the mountains like heavenly sounds.

When Li Mengtu heard the words, he was shaken to the core. His expression was first one of incredulity, and then it became something complicated.

Voice hoarse, he said, “Xu Qing?”

At almost the same time that Li Mengtu spoke his name, Xu Qing stirred space-time.

The power of space-time swirled noiselessly around Li Mengtu. Instantly… Li Mengtu’s injuries from his battle with the old man vanished. He was back at his peak state.

“You said before that dao fights are not about mercy or grudges,” Xu Qing said. “And my success with canon is connected to you by karma. So, do you wish to continue where we left off?”

Li Mengtu bitterly closed his eyes for a few breaths of time. When he opened them, they shone with determination and obsession.

“Canon…. I know it’s paramount beyond everything. With the legacy incomplete, I have never been able to experience it. However, I’ve never been a person to fear death. The only thing I fear is falling short of my dao. This dao fight… will end with my death. But I’m still willing to battle!”

Filled with determination, Li Mengtu shot toward the blurry outline that he could ‘see,’ looking very much like a moth rushing to the flame.

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