Beyond the Timescape

Chapter 1135: Fallen Immortal Moors

The moment Xu Qing removed the mark of the legacy flower, a sensation of relaxation entered his heart and mind. It filled his entire body from head to toe. It was a case of the dao being not so far away, and his person feeling both empty and not empty. Having taken away the karma of the legacy flower, Xu Qing’s dao was no longer connected to the outside.

His action sent a message to the person who had wanted to take his dao. That message was… I’m not giving it! He rose into the sky and disappeared over the horizon, his black hair flowing, his green garment swaying.

The total number of canons one has can affect the battle prowess, but there are limits to that. Otherwise, nobody would take one of their own canons and put it into a legacy. The Lower Immortals who put canons into their legacies obviously know that. What really determines their level is the completeness of their canon, not how many they have.

In other words, as far as I’m concerned, I have no need for other types of canon. What I need… is to push my canon of space-time to the limit, and make sure it’s complete!

Xu Qing looked up at the distant crimson aurora.

The canon of space-time has its foundation in the five elements. Time and space are the platform. With that foundation and platform, it can definitely be said to be profound. I can’t be the only person to have gained enlightenment of space-time. Truth be told, the moment I succeeded… I understood the truth.

There have been others before me who walked this path. That said, there aren’t many. What’s more… none of them walked it all the way to the end. Some just stopped. Some changed their dao. Right now, this path has no source.

As he traveled, he thought deeply about everything. He was getting the feeling that if he could gain even deeper enlightenment of space-time, then even if he didn’t form a ninth extreme, he would still be able to use canon to push his cultivation base past the breakthrough point. He could still form his ninth world and become an Imperial Sovereign!

But how do I gain deeper enlightenment…?

As he continued along through space-time, he sent his soul out to search for clues and answers.

Seven days later, he came to a stop. Space-time was stirring.

Some distance ahead of him was a mountain with seventeen peaks, all of which had cisterns of clear water on them that resembled full moons. Next to each pond was an eight-sided pavilion, each of which had a geographical design on the floor. This place… told a tale of geography, which was why these seventeen pools of water were called the Geotale Cisterns.

The cisterns were surrounded by strange and fantastic plants that exuded immortal spirit energy that built up over the years. Within that powerful energy, images of people would occasionally appear, engaged in all aspects of life.

The place became known for that strange phenomenon. Throughout the years, mortals who stumbled upon this place would sink into a dream state and wake up confused. But the place was not harmful. As such, it had been maintained over the years, and cultivators often came here to search for their dao.

Xu Qing looked at the place and recalled the information from Yunmen Qianfan’s bamboo scroll.

The scroll also included a legend about the designs on the floors of the pavilions. Supposedly, they had been put there by an almighty being who once traversed the length and breadth of the Fifth Star Ring. His dao related to measurement, and the designs on the floor described the geography of the star ring.

After the passage of much time, people gradually ceased to see the designs on the floors of the pavilions. All they could see was a smudgy blur that meant nothing to them. The reason was that the designs had slowly been absorbed into the water of the cisterns.

However, every time when one vortex-day turned into another, people could look into the water and use their inner longings and obsessions to form a clear view of their inner world. That was one reason why so many cultivators would come to this place to practice cultivation. This place could purify the heart and spirit, and push them to a higher level.

Xu Qing proceeded with many thoughts in his head.

Upon reaching the first mountain peak, he walked to the edge of the cistern and saw the projected images of the living beings going about their lives. It was like a real world, with people growing and dying, with all of the emotions of life on display. Upon nearing, the plants that had become people all stopped moving, then turned and kowtowed to Xu Qing.

The spirit energy here really is strong.

Xu Qing nodded, then stepped over to look at the geographical design on the floor of the pavilion. Shortly after, he shook his head slowly.

Not my dao.

Next, he went over and looked at the dao projections in the water of the cistern. At first glance, everything was blurry. At second glance, things cleared up. The image it created was incredibly clear.

Xu Qing looked quietly for a time… then shook his head. He needed no third glance. This place did have a dao, but sadly… it wasn’t the one he was looking for.

Xu Qing went to the second mountain peak, and then the third. Ultimately, he went to all seventeen. He got nothing out of it, and eventually left the place.

It took the rest of the month to get to the Cloudmire Basin. It was south of the Geotale Cisterns, and was surrounded by towering mountains. There were so many clouds inside that they were like smoke.

The ground was a mire of silky mud that was the perfect place for plants to grow. In fact, there was a fantastic flower called a ‘cloudmire lotus’ that grew there. Its petals were like clouds, and they emitted a fantastic fragrance. The information in Yunmen Qianfan’s bamboo scroll claimed that the lotus could purify one’s soul and make it easier to comprehend the daos of heaven and earth. As a result, immortal cranes guarded the area. The entire place seemed like an immortal paradise.

When Xu Qing entered the Cloudmire Basin, he gently stroked the immortal cranes, and as their gentle cries filled the air, he took a petal from one of the cloudmire lotuses.

The petal floated on his palm like an illusory cloud. It was true that the flower had a purifying effect on the heart and soul. But Xu Qing’s heart was already solid, and did not need purifying. Though he did have obsessions, none were things that could be purified by the flower. He stayed for three days before leaving.

He went south, going farther than a mortal could travel in a hundred lifetimes. Even an Imperial Sovereign would need a month to get there. He was going to the Fallen Immortal Moors.

The lands there were expansive and green with vegetation. The aurora in the sky had seven colors, almost like a rainbow. That and the stunning clouds created a dreamlike atmosphere.

It immediately attracted Xu Qing’s attention. Scenery like this wasn’t common in the Fifth Star Ring, as the aurora was usually red. It was only in this place that all sorts of colors lingered in it.

That was why Yunmen Qianfan’s bamboo scroll contained a story about the aurora. Legend had it that this place was the source of the aurora.

Xu Qing looked thoughtfully at the moors and the colorful rainbow.

Then he considered what Li Mengtu had told him about Immortal Lord Aurora.

Supposedly, that Immortal Lord had once been the leader of all the other Immortal Lords, except that he rebelled and was killed by the Immortal Paragon. His canon was taken and turned into the aurora, while his spirit fell in this place. That was the origin of the name of the Fallen Immortal Moors.

The moors were filled with vegetation and what appeared to be meteorites. The biggest of the meteorites were like mountains, while the smallest were as big as beans. All of them radiated bright light and pulsing energy. The aura here was very ancient.

The meteorites did not come from beyond the heavens, at least according to the legends. They were left over from the days when the Fifth Star Ring was compacted down. And they contained mysterious power.

As Xu Qing looked at them, his eyes shone. Though his fleshly body was not reacting much to this place, as his thoughts spread out, he could sense something unique.

There’s a rancorous will here…. That will stirs the spirit energy, causing it to form a sea.

He continued walking, passing one meteorite after another. Some he would touch with his fingers. He would use divine will to look at others. And some he would peer at via space-time.

Those he touched were empty! Those he studied with divine will were empty! Those he looked at with space-time were also empty! Upon realizing that, Xu Qing stopped walking.

So, an Immortal Lord perished here…. This could be the dao I need.

Eyes narrowing, he continued. He walked along, seeking enlightenment from the blowing wind and the peace that surrounded him. Inside, his heart sank into an ethereal emptiness.

Eventually, when he was nearing the very middle of the Fallen Immortal Moors, he suddenly sensed friction, as if something was resisting his onward progress. Eventually, he couldn’t go forward. The friction became like the tolling of a bell, echoing within space-time.

The emptiness was shattered, and his thoughts awoke. Looking up, he saw that just ahead of him was an enormous stone stele, its surface covered with magical symbols. He had no idea where it came from, but he could sense its grandeur.

Eventually, Xu Qing looked away from it.

It’s a place that doesn’t exist within this space-time.

He sat down cross-legged in this isolated place. He closed his eyes. He continued his search. The wind blew. The aurora flowed.

A few months later, people began to arrive at the Fallen Immortal Moors. They came from all directions, but their destination was the same: the stele in the middle of the moors.

Unlike Xu Qing, the friction forced them to stop much earlier. Therefore, they stopped and sat down at different distances from the stele. When they noticed Xu Qing, their expressions flickered, and they felt fear in their hearts. One reason was because of how close Xu Qing was to the stele. The other reason was simply the feeling they got when looking at him.

Among those people was one who was shaken to the core. In fact, his face seemed to drain of blood, and he immediately wished he could just turn around and leave. However, before he could put that thought into action, Xu Qing opened his eyes and looked at him calmly.

“Come here.”

That person’s heart started pounding, and he struggled to breathe steadily.

At the same time, a path opened up among all the people who had gathered, and it led right to Xu Qing. The words that had left Xu Qing’s mouth were like the will of heaven. They were commands. As a result, everyone backed up. All the person could do was walk down that path as far as possible and then bow respectfully.

“Long time no see, Patriarch Diling,” Xu Qing said. This was the very same person he had encountered in the Desert of Time with Yunmen Qianfan. And the two of them had agreed to share one of the secret keys.[1]

Patriarch Diling smiled wryly. It had indeed been a long time since they had seen each other. But he had never guessed that when they met again, this person would have canon.

Patriarch Diling knew that he was in a very tenuous situation, and that his life wasn’t in his own hands. Now that he thought back, there were actually hints that things could end up like this, even back in the Desert of Time. After all, someone who could control a tempest of time was obviously not going to be an ordinary person. The chosen from his clan who had been turned into a statue was still in that state just outside the desert.

“If you’re not pleased with me, Fellow Daoist,” Patriarch Diling said calmly, “I can just give you the secret key.”

And as he spoke, he took out a jade bottle. Inside of it was a drop of blood. It was the blood of Patriarch Yunmen, and it contained the secret key. Placing the bottle down in front of Xu Qing, Patriarch Diling bowed his head and waited for an answer.

A moment later, Xu Qing calmly asked, “Where did this stone stele come from?”

Patriarch Diling looked up at the majestic stone stele. Not daring to try to deceive Xu Qing, he quietly said, “This is where Immortal Lord Aurora’s spirit fell. His immortal palace collapsed here as well. That stele… is the threshold stone of the Aurora Immortal Palace!”[2]

1. We saw Patriarch Diling for the first and last time in chapter 1118. By way of reminder, Diling is pronounced sort of like “dee leeng.” ☜

2. In traditional Chinese architecture, especially in places like temples or official buildings, most entry gates will have a large threshold at the bottom, usually made of stone or wood. There are a number of different words in Chinese to describe this part of the door. In any case, you generally don’t step on it when entering the building. You step over it. Not only is it not respectful to step on it, but also, according to superstition, it’s supposed to keep out evil spirits. I was taught this by tour guides when I first visited China, and that explanation and custom was reinforced by other people after I moved to China. That said, I also saw plenty of Chinese people in China who had no problem just stepping right on the threshold. ☜

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