Chapter 1654 - Chapter 1654: The Ninth Extremity!
Chapter 1654: The Ninth Extremity!
Editor: Atlas Studios
The river surged, with a roaring sound rising along with the waves, echoing in all directions.
Xu Qing sat cross-legged on the river’s surface, surrounded by the ashes of the fourth realm that were drifting and scattering.
It was like snow falling from the sky, spreading out around him.
However… this realm didn’t shatter or disappear.
All the buildings in the Immortal Palace, including the sky and earth, had vanished into thin air.
However, this realm still existed.
This was because Xu Qing was here!
The Young Lord gave him the ownership of the Immortal Palace.
He had the authority to govern it.
His Space-Time Ordinance had already fully developed, manifesting as a river of space-time, sustaining the fourth realm that would have otherwise shattered.
At the same time, he also understood that he could leave at any time. He could even return to any of the first three realms with a thought.
Whether it be the present world in the first realm, the scene on the second realm, or the lines on the first realm, as long as he wanted to, he could descend instantly.
However… if he wanted to go up, he would be restricted.
What restricted him wasn’t his authority and identity but his Ordinance level.
To enter the fourth realm, one only needed to possess an Ordinance or an Ordinance treasure. As for the fifth realm, the requirement was higher.
Their Ordinance had to be at a certain level, causing the force of law to surge, or have the power of a Quasi Immortal Great Emperor.
At this moment, Xu Qing could sense that he was just a step away from entering the fifth realm.
“I have to increase the Space-Time Ordinance by another level and I can break through everything!”
“This higher level is my ninth extremity!”
A strange glint appeared in Xu Qing’s eyes.
He had a strong intuition that the moment the ninth extremity appeared would be when the ninth world of his Soul Accumulation was formed.
With the help of the ninth extremity, he could step into the fifth realm that only Great Emperors or those with a certain level of Ordinance could enter.
Once he reached there, he was confident that he could absorb the power of the fifth realm…
“Just a step away from Ruler and a combat strength that can fight the Great Emperor!”
Xu Qing drew in a deep breath. As his thoughts churned, he mumbled.
“As for my ninth extremity… after space-time… it’s parallel…”
The parting words of the Young Lord left an unparalleled impact on him, resonating like thunder that still echoed within.
This profound sense of enlightenment grew stronger and stronger.
Finally, as Xu Qing sat cross-legged upon his own river of time, he lowered his gaze to the water’s surface.
His reflection was there.
He stared at his reflection for a long time… and then, Xu Qing on the river’s surface closed his eyes.
In that instant, however, his reflection in the water opened its eyes!
Then, the reflection sank downward, drifting to the riverbed, descending into the sand and silt, sinking deeper and deeper until it finally vanished.
Only Xu Qing on the river’s surface remained, seated cross-legged and motionless.
…
A wind blew from afar, carrying with it thick, mystical fog that swirled and drifted past numerous cultivators, eventually spreading over the stone tablet on the Immortal Welcoming Platform of the Immortal Palace.
The tablet was black, overgrown with moss, exuding a sense of antiquity and the passage of countless years.
The inscriptions on it were faint and weathered, detailing the three paths available upon entering the Immortal Palace.
This was the entrance of the Immortal Palace and also the first place all cultivators saw upon entering, where each of them would decide on their path within the Immortal Palace.
At that moment, Li Mengtu, Earth Spirit Ancestor, and a blurry figure were rushing over from afar.
As they reached the Immortal Welcoming Platform, the vast majority of the cultivators who were originally on the platform were rushing to the left.
That was the first path to enter the immortal palace. The fog inside wasn’t thick but the space seemed to be different. Compared to the Immortal Welcoming Platform, it was much dimmer.
There was also a gentle drizzle, softly soaking everything around. The ground was muddy.
As for the second path, right in front, dense fog covered it. One could only vaguely see that there seemed to be a bridge there.
A person seemed to be walking forward on the bridge.
“That’s Star Ring. The moment he appeared just now, I saw that he was going to this bridge.”
Li Mengtu, who was at the side, spoke in a low voice.
“I wonder what Brother Xu will choose. If you choose the small path, we can go together.”
After Li Mengtu finished speaking, the Earth Spirit Ancestor beside him also turned his head and looked at Xu Qing expectantly.
The person standing beside them was Xu Qing!
At this moment, it was the moment everyone entered the Land of Immortal’s Fall. However, the strange thing was that whether it was Li Mengtu or the Earth Spirit Ancestor, they showed nothing abnormal.
It was as if they were entirely unaware that they had been here before.
Or, more precisely, versions of them from different points in space-time had walked these same grounds.
Even stranger was that Xu Qing, now standing at this very place, seemed to have no recollection of it either. He appeared exactly as though he were entering for the first time, lifting his gaze to study the three entrance paths ahead.
A small path, a wooden bridge, and a river.
“I want to take a walk around this bridge.”
The Earth Spirit Ancestor glanced at Li Mengtu.
Li Mengtu nodded and cupped his fists and bowed to Xu Qing, walking toward the small path on the left.
The Earth Spirit Ancestor hesitated for a moment but ultimately didn’t persuade him. Instead, he bowed to Xu Qing and chose the same path as Li Mengtu.
Very soon, the two of them disappeared.
Xu Qing was the only one left on the Immortal Welcoming Platform.
He stood there and first looked at the right!
After pondering for a while, he finally retracted his gaze and looked at the bridge in front of him. His body swayed as he headed there… taking a step in.
Time flowed by.
The world behind the bridge was the second realm. The moment he appeared in that scene, Xu Qing was immersed in it and experienced many things. It was just that… he didn’t encounter the little person holding a sword.
Instead, he slept in the demon king’s bucket.
Finally, with an unknown commotion, the demon king roared angrily and splashed everything in the bucket out, spreading it all.
In that turmoil, for reasons he could not comprehend, Xu Qing narrowly escaped.
He entered the third realm.
There, he met Li Mengtu and joined forces with him to obtain the identity to enter the fourth realm.
They then stepped into the fourth realm together.
He was no longer the Young Lord but a guarding disciple of the Scripture Pavilion.
He tried to change history and create waves, but couldn’t because the Star Ring had completed the order.
With the appearance of the wedding and the descent of the calamity, everything flowed in line with history.
The bubbles in the starry sky shattered and all the living beings in the Immortal Palace dissipated, including him.
The instant he dissipated, Xu Qing opened his eyes.
Around him flowed a gentle stream, while in the distance, as if separated by the fabric of time and space, he saw another version of himself.
That other self was surrounded by a vast river, immense and awe-inspiring.
“So this is how it is…”
This Xu Qing mumbled. He sat cross-legged on his stream and closed his eyes.
The reflection continued to sink.
After that… the scene on the Immortal Welcoming Platform appeared again.
This time, Xu Qing, who had appeared there and was still unknown about this, recognizing the dangers of the area, chose to enter the rainy path with Li Mengtu and the Earth Spirit Ancestor.
As he walked along this path, he did not experience the first and second realms. Instead, he encountered Xie Lingzi and became embroiled in conflict.
In the end, he forged a bond with Zhou Zhengli.
The three of them, including Li Mengtu, found the identity required to access the fourth realm. There, they experienced the shifting tides of history.
When everything came to an end, as the fourth realm began to dissipate, Xu Qing opened his eyes and saw… two versions of himself.
After a moment of silence, he fell into a daze.
“So this is how it is…”
He closed his eyes. There was very little river water beside him.
However, the reflection was still sinking.
It stirred up a series of undercurrents that created layers of ripples, transforming into one Xu Qing after another that appeared at the entrance of the Immortal Palace in different space-times.
They made their respective choices.
Just like the most primitive sand in the Time Desert. Every time the wind blew, it would form a different timeline and give rise to different experiences.
Some versions even died on the way!
The space-times they were in turned into nothingness.
Some versions’ way of dealing with problems overturned Xu Qing’s framework.
Killing, bloodshed, plundering…
They were different.
The experiences were naturally built on this. Some forged a bond with Xie Lingzi, some befriended Qianjun and Piyi, and some didn’t even enter the fourth realm.
There was also a version of Xu Qing who became friends with Star Ring and chose to follow the order.
The various changes and experiences ultimately manifested externally in the vast river, where Xu Qing found himself surrounded by an increasing number of rivers. Though the waters varied in volume, each flowing river held a version of himself.
In the end, it was majestic and densely packed.
Countless versions of Xu Qing, alongside innumerable rivers, filled all of the void.
Until a wind blew, stirring the original sands, and the original Xu Qing opened his eyes.
He muttered softly.
“Return to one!”
The instant he opened his eyes… the instant he spoke…
Countless space-times in the surroundings and countless him suddenly opened their eyes. All of them… looked at him!
All gazes gathered and intertwined at this moment. At this moment… they fused.
Immediately after, countless long rivers instantly churned and gathered toward the original Xu Qing!
The river water became increasingly turbulent and an intense and endless rumbling sound rang out in Xu Qing’s mind.
It was as though his mind had been opened!
It was like his eyes were no longer covered!
Countless selfs became one.
Countless rivers merged into a sea!
The ninth extremity was born at this instant!
It was parallel extremity!
It was as though the world had been split open. As the world shook, Xu Qing’s Ninth World also appeared.
His cultivation base soared explosively!
From eight worlds to nine worlds now, he had reached the extreme of the Soul Accumulation.
His Ordinance directly broke through!
The moment he broke through, Xu Qing stood up on the Sea of Space-Time. He raised his head and looked up. He then lifted his feet… and took a step toward the void!
He wanted to go to the fifth realm that only Quasi Immortal Great Emperor-level battle strength could go to and complete the final breakthrough!
The moment his foot landed, his surroundings turned blurry and distorted. It was as though he had broken the shackles and walked out of the barrier.
He stepped into… the fifth realm!
Looking in all directions, a splendid scene unfolded.
One after another, vortices of varying sizes resembled star systems or strange eyes, stretching infinitely.
Yet, at the moment of observation, despite the vastness, Xu Qing felt that he could ‘see’ all the vortices and their intricate details.
In this mystical experience, he also noticed several figures seated in meditation within these vortices.
Among them were Star Ring and some cultivators he had never seen before, their auras clearly indicating they were Quasi Immortals.
Surrounding each of these individuals were unique and fantastical illusions flowing around them.
Star Ring seemed to be making a breakthrough.
After being stared at by Xu Qing, Star Ring seemed to have sensed something and abruptly opened his eyes, sweeping his gaze over.
The instant he saw Xu Qing, his expression suddenly changed and disbelief uncontrollably surfaced.
“How are you here!!”