Chapter 1603: True Self Emerges, Creating s.p.a.ce-Time!
Editor: Atlas Studios
“This is the Eight Extremities!”
In the void, Xu Qing opened his eyes. His physical body remained above, while his soul ascended from within the shattered crystal painting. As it returned, a deep understanding spread through his mind.
He recalled the moment he comprehended the Eight Extremities Dao back then. He had seen a white-haired cultivator in s.p.a.cetime.
The other party’s Eight Extremities Dao was different from his but the five elements were the same. Moreover, they had formed Dharma Idol bodies.
Now, the reincarnated forms became the foundation of the five elements, and then the five elements transformed into the form of rules.
Hence, the five extreme elements were already at the completion stage.
The moment this thought appeared in Xu Qing’s mind, five Dharma Idol bodies walked out of the void outside his body.
The first was an old man wearing an official’s robe and holding an iron sword. His expression was dignified and his aura was majestic.
Wealth, power, and the clashing of weapons converged on him, manifesting as a metal fate, transforming into the Dharma Body of metal.
It was Chancellor Xu Jinfeng!
Then came the second form, the merchant Xu Hong, dressed in a merchant’s robe, with a gentle expression. Around him swirled a black river, rolling in all directions, forming an awe-inspiring momentum.
With his water fate, he was the Dharma Body of water!
Following was the third form, the bandit Xu Shan, exuding a fierce aura of the martial world. He grinned wildly, standing atop a ma.s.sive tree, one hand pressing down, his eyes filled with a savage gleam, his expression manic.
The wood fate emitted by him was dense and fluctuated in the void. He was the Dharma Body of wood!
Finally, the fourth and fifth bodies appeared one after another.
The fourth form emerged as Xu Yu, the physician, with a volcano in his palm, unleashing a world-ending fire that constantly erupted, engulfing his entire body. His fire element gathered, forming the Dharma Body of fire.
The fifth form, Xu Kun, the commoner, appeared as a figure composed of grains, with a body of desert sand and dust, emanating a powerful sense of weight. The moment he appeared, the void trembled.
His earth element became a foundation, solidifying into the manifestation of the Dharma Body of earth.
At this moment, all five forms of the Eight Extremes Dao stood tall, each exuding immense power. The pressure they emitted was nearly equal to Xu Qing’s own.
Xu Qing turned his head to take a look. The five Dao bodies were also staring at him.
Understanding rose in their minds at the same time.
“The five elements mutually reinforce and counteract each other, forming a cycle of reincarnation.”
“As for reincarnation, it can become the eighth extremity…”
However, after Xu Qing pondered over it he shook his head.
“Although reincarnation is mysterious, there’s still one more path that encompa.s.ses reincarnation and surpa.s.ses it. That’s the eighth extremity I decided at the start!”
Determination appeared in Xu Qing’s eyes. He gave up on using reincarnation as his Dao and his gaze landed on… the sixth and seventh pieces of the ten shattered crystals.
They were time and s.p.a.ce!
His soul moved and headed straight for the crystal fragments that represented time and s.p.a.ce.
It instantly fused.
It was…
As the cycle of reincarnation completed, all beings were born, causality would descend, and time would continue to flow.
…
‘I’m searching. Though I’m not sure what, it seems to be my mission, for I am incomplete.
Perhaps it exists, or perhaps it does not.
I exist within the stars, the world, in all things, among all beings—I am everywhere.
The eternal motion of all things, the continuity of change, the order of it all, is the evidence of my existence. It is the way I allow beings to perceive me.
Thus, I am like a river, flowing through everything known and unknown.
I flow between many things and events, across the past, present, and future of all beings. Even stars and galaxies need me to move forward.
Whether night or day, whether reincarnation or karma, whether laws or rules, they are all me.
If I fall silent, everything stands still.
If I rise, epochs shift.
Yet, at the same time, I do not exist.
I can be felt, but never truly seen. In many states, I am born from thought alone.
I am considered a beginning, starting from an unknown moment, and before that, no description exists.
Thus, before that moment, I was said not to exist, without meaning.
It was the emergence and existence of all things that gave rise to me, and granted me meaning.’
Some believed that I was not truly a rule existing within the universe, but merely a concept formed from the movement of all things and beings, a way to describe speed and flow.
Others went even further, thinking that I was just an illusion created by sentient beings.
So, many tried to determine whether I truly existed. They attempted to sense me, to explore me, to reach out and touch me.
No matter what, regardless of whether I existed or not, I didn’t care.
This was because their ultimate goal was none other than control.
Along with that came many names for me. Some called me ‘time,’ others called me ‘moment,’ and still, others referred to me as ‘point’…
There were too many of them.
All of these were their names for me.
None of them were truly mine.
I didn’t care.
And I kept searching, seeking something unknown to me.
I had thought this endless, monotonous search would never bring anything significant to catch my attention.
This lasted until I met a few people, a few very special people.
They were powerful, powerful enough to truly see me, strong enough to form a bond, becoming friends of sorts.
One visited me occasionally, holding a flower in hand, asking if it was beautiful.
One sailed by in front of me, letting out a quiet sigh.
One asked me about fate.
While another wanted me to write him a debt note.
But the one who stayed with me the longest was someone who liked wearing black. He often sat in front of me, quietly gazing into the distance.
Together, we watched all of existence unfold, witnessing the infinite.
At one moment, he lifted his hand and with a single gesture, changed everything, resetting time, letting it all start again.
Over and over, countless times.
I didn’t understand.
He told me he was reviving his wife.
I wished him well.
Later, they all disappeared.
Only I continued to flow.
There was no beginning or end.
I kept searching.
Until I saw a b.u.t.terfly.
The b.u.t.terfly said that its name was Harmonious Morus Alba.
In truth, the b.u.t.terfly had appeared before, but I hadn’t noticed. This time, however, it flew directly in front of me.
It told me about an existence named the universe, which had been endlessly searching for time.
Universe and I had crossed paths countless times, stood face to face countless times, and yet, missed each other just as often. Finally, the universe understood—it and I were one.
If I existed, it existed; if I perished, so would it.
Yet, we were like water and ink—forever intertwined. but unable to meet.
No one could find the other party.
Only this b.u.t.terfly, who could see both the universe and me, could serve as the bond that would bring us together.
The b.u.t.terfly asked me to land on it, for the universe was also within.
I chose to land.
In that instant… I finally saw the universe.
Universe also saw me.
It was…
Time surged, all beings flourished, the Harmonious Morus Alba appeared, the universe emerged.
In that moment, time and s.p.a.ce intertwined, becoming whole.
Hence, s.p.a.ce-time was formed!
This was…
Universe was established, time arose, true self emerged, and s.p.a.ce-time was created.
Xu Qing woke up.
The eighth extremity emerged in his body!
A deafening boom reverberated through his body.
…
After a long time, Xu Qing opened his eyes.
The moment he opened his eyes, everything he saw was distorted and unclear.
However, when he closed his eyes and viewed with his mind, everything became crystal clear.
In his thoughts, he could see everything: the past, present, and future of all things, even their essence.
Everything was transparent and fully revealed, from birth to death, from beginning to end.
The beings in the cycle of reincarnation each had countless overlapping appearances, formed by the convergence of time and s.p.a.ce.
Everything was in a state of transparency, with no obstruction.
He could see the essence, the bones, the souls, and the cycle of reincarnation.
Even the items in the storage s.p.a.ce were completely clear.
It was like omniscience.
He could even control the thoughts of all living beings and make them make choices that suited his needs.
He could also see the s.p.a.ce-time formed by the other party’s countless choices.
It was similar to fate.
This feeling was as though he was looking at a sketchbook that could be modified by him at any time.
Along with this perception came the realization that any place could be reached with just a thought.
Whether it was the past or the future, all of time and s.p.a.ce could be traversed in an instant.
There was nothing he couldn’t do.
The instant this perception appeared in Xu Qing’s mind, he raised his head and his thoughts spread.
Everything was transparent.
He saw the fire outside the scroll painting, the cauldron, the minor world he was in, the city outside the minor world, and even the Fifth Star Ring where the minor world was located.
After that, he saw all living beings and all things.
He seemed to be able to fiddle with everything.
At that moment, Xu Qing saw twelve figures amidst the crimson aurora waves in the sky.
They appeared in the aurora at the same time and looked at Xu Qing from afar.
Above them, Xu Qing saw eleven vast immortal palaces. There were figures in each of them that shone with resplendent light.
Further up… was a supreme existence sitting cross-legged and meditating, his presence enveloping the entire Fifth Star Ring.
Immediately after, a voice rang out from nothingness.
“The Ordinance is the root of immortals and the foundation of killing G.o.ds. If you want to control the Ordinance, you have to uphold it first!”
At the next instant, Xu Qing’s body trembled.
He sensed an indescribably terrifying force coming from all directions, from nothingness, and from the entire thirty-six upper star rings.
It landed on his body.
At this moment, Xu Qing truly understood why the omnipotent immortals were no longer omnipotent in the upper star rings.
This was because those in charge of the Ordinance must first uphold it!
Clearly, such a thing wouldn’t have happened to him so quickly.
The reason for this was because, at the very moment his eighth extremity was born, the Ordinance was born alongside it!
It was his own Ordinance!
The Ordinance of s.p.a.ce-time.
Xu Qing understood. The next instant, he retracted his gaze. The formation of the eighth extremity in his body stirred up an overwhelming force. As Xu Qing’s body continued to rumble, the Eighth World was formed.
s.p.a.ce-Time World!
At the same time, in the Dao Immortal Sect in the Western Starfield.
On the fertile land, in front of the Poison Lord, the once-withered poisonous plant suddenly bloomed, resurrecting from death to life in an instant. In the blink of an eye, it grew to its peak.
It then detached itself and vanished without a trace before the Poison Lord.
As for the other plant beside it, it withered away at that very moment.
A peculiar glint flashed in Poison Lord’s eyes and his breathing became slightly hurried.
“You are the karma I’ve been waiting for!”