Da Xuan Martial Saint Chapter 1502: 721: Understanding Time (Part 2)

"Trouble."

"What is happening? Why has the Power of Time become so hopelessly entangled?"

Both Divine Monarch Nanhua and Master Bei Yu had suffered setbacks, and their expressions shifted rapidly. They realized with growing dread that escape was no longer an option. For reasons beyond their understanding, the Power of Time in this vicinity had twisted into a bizarre, knotted spiral.

This was a phenomenon neither Divine Monarch Nanhua nor Master Bei Yu had ever witnessed, leaving them completely blindsided and at a total loss.

"Woo!"

The crimson giant mystical bird remained indifferent to the spatial anomaly. Fierce light flashed within its demonic eyes as it pressed its attack against Divine Monarch Nanhua and Master Bei Yu. With every vibration of its wings, a terrifying might erupted forth.

Despite combining their full strength, Divine Monarch Nanhua and Master Bei Yu were relentlessly pushed back by the avian beast. They were trapped within an inescapably narrow perimeter, and their Divine Bodies were even beginning to show signs of damage.

In that moment,

a heavy weight settled in their hearts. They knew that if this struggle persisted, their True Bodies might be permanently entombed here.

While the giant mystical bird sought their lives, it could not finish them quickly. However, in such a grueling conflict, their recovery could not match their expenditure; their Divine Power was being slowly eroded. Once their reserves dropped by more than twenty percent, the potency of their explosive techniques would diminish, their strength would fail further, and their predicament would turn fatal.

Faced with this grim reality, neither Divine Monarch Nanhua nor Master Bei Yu could find a way to break the deadlock. Lacking proficiency in the methods of the Time Lineage, they were unable to force their way out of this restricted space.

As they watched the crimson mystical bird continue its merciless assault, losing Divine Power with every passing second, despair began to take root. They sensed that their journey in the Source Realm was reaching a bitter conclusion.

But,

at that very instant, a monumental change occurred!

The spiral of Power of Time, previously knotted and tangled, began to vibrate violently. The entire space-time crevice was suddenly illuminated by a brilliant, multicolored radiance.

Before Divine Monarch Nanhua and Master Bei Yu could identify the cause of this disturbance, they were caught in a surging torrent of the Power of Time. Swept away into the river of time, they felt the surrounding space-time warping at an incredible velocity.

They were not alone;

the crimson mystical bird was also swallowed by the temporal tide. It was dragged along with them, emitting piercing screeches of power, yet it found itself unable to break free.

This abrupt fluctuation in the Power of Time lasted only a moment—though in the realm of time, such scales are often meaningless. After a mere heartbeat, the temporal torrent shuddered with immense force.

Suddenly,

Divine Monarch Nanhua and Master Bei Yu felt their vision clear as they were ejected from the space-time crevice into a "normal" patch of fragmented space-time.

Calling it normal was an overstatement. Though this was merely a corner of the shattered Illusion Realm, the scene laid out before Divine Monarch Nanhua and Master Bei Yu was nothing short of awe-inspiring.

In their sight!

An almost limitless Light of Time, shimmering with every color of the rainbow, circulated and wove through the endless void. It formed vast spiral patterns resembling sundials or great rivers rushing toward unknown horizons.

Standing amidst those sprawling, infinite spirals of brilliance was a lone figure with hands clasped behind his back. He remained perfectly still within the blinding radiance of time, unperturbed by the tumultuous Great Dao lights—which surged like tsunamis beneath him—unable to even sway his form.

"That... that is..."

Divine Monarch Nanhua and Master Bei Yu stared up at the figure wreathed in the Light of Time, their souls trembling with shock. As Ninth Layer Heavenly Divine Monarchs, they could sense that unfathomably majestic aura, and a single realization dawned upon them.

Dao Venerable!

The figure standing above the flow of time was a Dao Venerable!

While Divine Monarch Nanhua and Master Bei Yu stood frozen in awe, the figure above space-time slightly turned his head, casting a brief glance in their direction.

That casual look left both monarchs paralyzed with shock, for the figure’s gaze and countenance felt strangely familiar to them.

For Ninth Layer Heavenly Divine Monarchs, such a feeling was never an illusion. In a flash, their minds raced through countless memories until they identified the source of that familiarity. The being standing above space-time was undoubtedly a supreme Dao Venerable of the universe—and he was indeed someone they had encountered before!

It was Chen Mu, who had emerged from the Nanhua Void!

No!

It was more appropriate to address him now as Mu Heavenly Venerable!

"Nanhua, Bei Yu..."

Chen Mu looked toward the two monarchs from the distance. Recognizing them instantly, he said nothing, merely observing them with a tranquil gaze.

In the past, during the cataclysm of the Star River, he had been but an Eighth Layer Heavenly Divine Monarch, forced to watch from the sidelines as Nanhua and Bei Yu fought for the treasures at the center. But now, as time flowed and the world changed, he had ascended to the rank of Venerable. An insurmountable chasm now existed between him and them; he was the one surveying all life from above.

"Hiss!"

The crimson giant mystical bird, which had been cast out alongside the two monarchs, sensed the overwhelming aura radiating from Chen Mu and let out a screech of pure terror.

At that sound, Chen Mu’s eyes shifted slightly, settling on the bird.

Buzz!!

With nothing more than a casual glance, a thread of invisible Great Dao light was reflected in Chen Mu’s cold eyes. The crimson bird's screeching stopped abruptly. Its entire body collapsed into dust, decaying into nothingness in an instant.

Seeing the powerful mystical bird—a creature whose strength rivaled the Double Vein Perfection—disintegrate under a mere look, Divine Monarch Nanhua and Master Bei Yu felt a chill of terror. Though they were still reeling from the fact that Chen Mu had become a Dao Venerable, their instincts took over. Together, they bowed in deep reverence toward him.

"Nanhua pays respects to the Venerable."

"Bei Yu pays respects to the Venerable."

When a Dao Venerable rules the cosmos, even the most invincible Ninth Layer Heavenly Divine Monarchs must bow their heads in submission!

As waves of emotion crashed through them, Divine Monarch Nanhua and Master Bei Yu cautiously raised their heads after their salute. They saw that Chen Mu had already looked away, focusing instead on the wave-like lights of time beneath his feet.

Chen Mu appeared deep in contemplation. He reached out, casually manipulating the Lights of Time, tearing and twisting them into intricate, complex structures. His eyes glowed with sparks of Spiritual Light.

It was this effortless manipulation of the Power of Time that caused the space-time of the entire region to fluctuate wildly, with chaotic Light of Time occasionally rending the fabric of reality.

Observing this, Divine Monarch Nanhua and Master Bei Yu finally understood. It was no wonder the temporal light they encountered earlier was so distorted and knotted. Chen Mu had been here deducing the Great Dao of Time, causing the entire domain to tremble under the weight of his insights!

At that moment,

the two monarchs noticed that they were not alone. At the edge of their vision, many other divine monarchs were present, either standing solitary or gathered in groups. All were staring reverently at the figure towering above time, some still maintaining their bows.

As Chen Mu continued to evolve the Great Dao of Time, further warping space-time, other divine monarchs were occasionally spat out from the surrounding crevices. Every newcomer reacted with the same profound shock before quickly offering their respectful homage to Chen Mu.

"As time flows, it is both an eternal continuum and a cycle of fate; it is joined yet fragmented. It appears contradictory, yet it is not in conflict. At this stage, the restrictions of low-dimensional rules no longer apply—opposing attributes can exist as one."

Chen Mu murmured softly to himself as he shaped time and mastered space-time, his eyes flashing with constant realizations.

In this manner,

an undeterminable amount of time passed before his movements finally slowed.

When he eventually ceased his actions, the turbulent waves of temporal light finally began to settle and stabilize.

At that point, Chen Mu’s eyes shone with a blinding brilliance.

[Mysteries Fusion: Past, Present, Future, Time Loop, Time Cleft]

[Experience: 100 million points]