Zhao Xing and Qing Yuzi!

"Wuyi Silent Extinction World."

It was Zhao Xing's first time hearing of this place.

A Silent Extinction World referred to a small world that had reached the end of its life.

At this stage, the small world would suffer constant natural disasters and upheavals. The Life Great Dao would weaken, while the Great Dao of Destruction gained absolute dominance and began destroying the source of all matter.

In the end, the small world would collapse completely, vanishing like a bursting bubble.

After a Silent Extinction World collapsed, it was not necessarily left with nothing. On rare occasions, a precious treasure such as a World Heart would be born.

"Divine Venerable, since the Yellow Silent Extinction World is said to be the largest, it must have something special about it?" Zhao Xing asked curiously.

"Come and see."

The Boundless True God brought Zhao Xing before the Profound Crystal Illumination Wall in the main hall.

With a gentle point of his finger, the star map rapidly enlarged, revealing a blue-black small world that resembled a jellyfish.

"Do you still remember the True Self Faction's Four Realms Cosmology?"

"I remember." Zhao Xing nodded. "Any small world, including the universe, has four major stages: primordial beginning, source origin, myriad phenomena, and silent extinction. As for how long each lasts..."

"Without outside interference, the Primordial Beginning Stage is born within an immeasurable time of the universe—one ten-to-the-sixty-eighth of a second."

"The Source Origin Stage generally lasts around three hundred million to one billion Realm Star Years."

"The Myriad Phenomena Stage lasts much longer. In the world model, the minimum standard is one billion Realm Star Years. At its longest, like the universe itself, there is no fixed limit."

"The duration of the Annihilation Period likewise has no fixed limit, but it is shorter than the Source Origin Stage."

"Yes." The Boundless True God pointed at the star map. "The Yellow Silent Extinction World is an exception."

At that moment, the Yellow Silent Extinction World began rewinding within the Mystic Mechanism Illumination Wall, displaying its forms across different eras.

As Zhao Xing watched, his mouth gradually fell open.

For no matter how far back the timeline rewound, the black Great Dao of Destruction always held the upper hand in the Yellow Silent Extinction World. The natural disasters and upheavals showed almost no obvious decrease.

The life born within the Yellow Silent Extinction World often went extinct before it had much time to catch its breath and survive.

When the rewind reached the earliest point of origin, the Yellow World vanished.

From beginning to end, Zhao Xing had never seen the Source Origin Stage where life was nurtured, nor the Myriad Phenomena Stage where it multiplied and evolved. "There is only an Annihilation Period, no Myriad Phenomena or Source Origin Stage." Zhao Xing was stunned. "How is that possible? Divine Venerable, shouldn't every world conform to the Four Realms Cosmology?"

"There actually are such stages." The Boundless True God turned his hand, and time flowed forward as the Yellow World reappeared.

"It is only that those stages are extremely brief, so brief that they are practically impossible to notice. The Source Origin and Myriad Phenomena Stages each lasted only a few solar years."

Only a few solar years? Zhao Xing could not help frowning. That meant it was over after merely a few sunrises and moonsets.

"So brief... doesn't that still violate the Four Realms Cosmology?" Zhao Xing murmured.

"The Yellow Silent Extinction World is indeed a mystery." Even the Boundless True God sighed. "It is the largest world among the universe's countless spacetime regions."

"With such enormous mass, by all reason it should collapse quickly. Yet its Annihilation Period can last so long. That defies common sense."

"It truly is unbelievable." Intense curiosity rose within Zhao Xing. As a True Self Faction Agriculture God, there was no way he could restrain his curiosity upon seeing such a vast world. "It must have suffered some kind of external interference."

"Divine Venerable, have the various factions explored the Great Yellow World? Have they discovered anything?"

The Boundless True God shook his head. "There are many theories, but none with genuine evidence or any convincing explanation."

"For instance, a Medicine God wrote the Cosmic Womb Theory. It proposes that before the universe was born, there existed an unfathomable 'cosmic placenta.' Within it, two world embryos were nurtured together. Either one might have become a complete 'cosmic embryo' and evolved the most perfect Great Dao."

"The universe we inhabit killed its own sibling within that placenta, absorbed its nutrients, and became a complete, healthy universe."

"The Great Yellow World, meanwhile, was the discarded dead embryo. That is why its primordial beginning, source origin, and myriad phenomena stages were all exceptionally brief, leaving only the annihilation stage."

"Yet because the Great Yellow World also possessed the potential to become a universe, it was able to maintain its annihilation stage for a very long time."

"Among countless theories, the Cosmic Womb Theory is considered relatively less absurd. It has some basis, and quite a few people believe it."

"The Cosmic Womb Theory?" Zhao Xing found it novel. Every profession had its own understanding of the universe, but this Cosmic Womb Theory was destined to be impossible to prove.

"Because the Great Yellow World has remained in annihilation for so long, natural disasters and upheavals occur constantly. Life within it is as though it undergoes tribulation every day," the Boundless True God said.

"It is an extremely dangerous place."

"Occasionally, exceptionally powerful lifeforms are born there."

"Many people have also entered it, attempting to use it for Heaven and Earth Attainment."

"Among them, Agriculture Gods and Medicine Gods are the most numerous."

Zhao Xing looked forward to it somewhat. "Divine Venerable, has anyone succeeded?"

"No." The Boundless True God shook his head. "They all failed."

"They all failed?"

"Yes. I tried it myself as well. The Great Yellow World possesses certain conditions for Heaven and Earth Attainment, and its foundation exceeds that of ordinary great worlds. But in the end, I discovered that success was impossible."

The Boundless True God pointed, and time within the Great Yellow World began flowing forward.

From birth to destruction, it lasted only around a hundred eras.

"One era is 1.2 million Realm Star Years. The entire Great Yellow World only lasted 120 million years. It did not even exist as long as some low-level Realm Stars."

"The disasters grew stronger and stronger, until everything was destroyed. Nothing could remain."

The Boundless True God sighed wistfully.

"Some powerful lifeforms in the Great Yellow World were born comparable to God Kings of the Human Race, yet they still could not escape their constraints. They were destroyed in the final great cataclysm."

"No matter where they hid, no matter how far away, even if they hid beside a Divine Emperor, once the great cataclysm arrived, every native lifeform nurtured by the Great Yellow World had to die."

Zhao Xing was deeply shaken. The lifeforms born from the Great Yellow World were actually this powerful.

Yet even such powerful existences could not evade the disaster of annihilation.

"It was precisely because of the Great Yellow World's existence that we became resolute in our decision to restart the universe," the Boundless True God said. "Going to the future means entering the annihilation era, where there is no hope of restarting at all. Fleeing is even more foolish. The Cosmic Ark is one example."

Zhao Xing finally understood how the divine factions had split apart. It was because they saw one example after another, causing their ideological differences to grow increasingly severe.

"Enough. You need not think too much about such matters yet," the Boundless True God said. "Focus on the present and resolve that bastard's matter first."

"You can find all known information regarding the Great Yellow World within the Mystic Mechanism Illumination Wall."

"I will speed up the forging of your Destined Divine Weapon and try to have it ready before you depart."

"Yes." Zhao Xing obediently accepted the instruction.

The Boundless True God immediately departed to forge the Destined Divine Weapon, which would require a great deal of his energy.

Zhao Xing continued studying the Mystic Mechanism Illumination Wall.

"So Lao Qing hid in a Silent Extinction World after fleeing."

"That makes sense. Silent Extinction Worlds are special places. Even without deep Divine Concealment, people are difficult to find there."

Life, karma, spacetime, fortune, the five elements, wind, and lightning—all Great Daos bowed beneath the Great Dao of Destruction.

If someone entered a Silent Extinction World and tried, from inside or outside, to deduce Qing Yuzi's existence, then no matter how they calculated it, the result would be—

Qing Yuzi was already dead.

"A Silent Extinction World is a natural hiding place."

"After Lao Qing was wanted by Bookless Divine King City, he must have spent some time hiding in Silent Extinction Worlds."

To evade a God King's pursuit, an ordinary Silent Extinction World was not particularly safe. But if it were the Yellow Silent Extinction World, then let alone the Bookless Divine King's subordinates, even the Bookless Divine King himself would have no way to find him.

"I wonder whether the place where he was trapped to death was in the Yellow Silent Extinction World." Zhao Xing pondered.

Qing Yuzi had once said that the place where he was trapped resembled complete Divine Concealment. Zhao Xing had guessed that he was inside the corpse of a God King with complete Divine Concealment.

Lao Qing had not denied it, tacitly accepting Zhao Xing's guess. It might well have been the Yellow Silent Extinction World.

"Yet the Boundless True God said I was going to complete Qing Yuzi's closed loop. Then it might not be in the Yellow Silent Extinction World, because the time point is different."

"I really have no idea what is going on."

Zhao Xing shook his head. Whenever he studied the True History Faction's Space-Time Theory, he always felt as if he were seeing through mist.

"If only I could ask Bowei, but he is not saying anything now."

"Without relying on Bowei, if I can become a god through the Celestial Timing Faction, I can also use the Extreme Star Origin as a springboard to comprehend the Time Great Dao. Studying Space-Time Theory will become much easier."

Among the grand Great Daos, the Dao of spacetime was the most complex. Even written language could not fully describe it.

The best approach was to become a Celestial Timing God himself. That would be even better than asking Bowei.

"Once I find Lao Qing, I must ask him whether he is truly a Celestial Timing Faction Agriculture God."

Zhao Xing thought this mainly because of Lao Qing's experiences.

In this reincarnation, he had been a Celestial Timing Faction Agriculture God of the Purple God Mansion.

Even the inheritance left behind in the Profound Yellow World had been a Celestial Timing Faction method.

When he became a god, he had also condensed a Storm Divine Rune.

At that time, the Celestial Timing Faction's power in the Profound Spirit Star Region had been weak. Later, after learning of God King Gu Xiao's actions, Zhao Xing had naturally concluded that Qing Yuzi's true origins were not those of a Celestial Timing Shennong God.

After all, someone who could condense a Storm Divine Rune was not necessarily a Celestial Timing Faction Agriculture God.

However, after Lao Qing stole Bookless Divine King City's secrets and became one of the God King's divine generals, that was unmistakably the Transformation of Seasons Art.

But afterward, Zhao Xing and Lao Qing had not remained in contact for some time, and Zhao Xing had never investigated further.

Thus, he did not know Qing Yuzi's true origins either.

"Peacock," Zhao Xing called out.

Whoosh—

The Peacock mechanism puppet immediately appeared beside Zhao Xing.

"Zhao Shennong, what are your orders?"

"I would like to ask a question."

"Please speak."

"Among the successive gods of the East Yan Ancient Clan, were there any existences similar to the Sky-Pillar Giant Beast?"

To learn Qing Yuzi's true origins, he had to determine the origins of the Eastern Extension Ancient God who had been resurrected in the Wilderness Era. After all, Lao Qing had stolen the source of that god's divine power.

"Yes." Peacock gave a definite answer. "The East Yan Ancient Clan had seventy-four ancestors. Six of them were born during the Great Summer at the beginning of the Bai Zhuo Era."

"Another eight were nurtured during a Grain Rain that lasted one hundred million years."

"Alright, I understand. You may withdraw for now." Zhao Xing waved his hand.

"Yes." Peacock silently departed again.

Zhao Xing did not continue asking. He feared that asking too much might affect Lao Qing, but he could already determine certain matters with near certainty.

Over the following period, Zhao Xing quietly waited for the Boundless True God to refine his Destined Divine Weapon.

In the sixtieth year after Divine General Xu Feng's death, the Boundless True God appeared again, wearing a complicated expression.

"Zhao Xing, I did not expect this treasure to become stronger the more it was refined. It has already exceeded my plans."

"Your Destined Divine Weapon still needs to undergo true refinement within the main current of the River of Time. Even I cannot use time acceleration to hasten its progress."

Zhao Xing was somewhat surprised. He had not expected such a development.

"It is all that bastard Qing Yuzi's fault!" The Boundless True God's face was filled with rage.

Zhao Xing was utterly puzzled. How had this become Lao Qing's fault?

"If not for him, you would not need to go to the Yellow Silent Extinction World, and I would not have thought to use the Primordial Chaos Divine Wood to accelerate the formation of your Destined Divine Weapon."

"If I had not used the Primordial Chaos Divine Wood, this accident would not have happened, and it would not need to be tempered in the main riverbed of time."

"Although your Destined Divine Weapon is becoming stronger with every refinement, my arrangements have now been disrupted by this damned thing."

The Boundless True God seemed rather irritable. "You also have no choice but to depart immediately, because his time remnant is about to disappear. If you do not go now, you may miss the time point for completing the closed loop."

"If you cannot complete it, the second layer of your Minglei Shadowless Art may remain stuck for the rest of your life."

"Without completing the second layer of Divine Concealment, the training plan I have arranged for you afterward will be fraught with danger."

"Rui Emperor's Clearance Writ alone is not safe enough. Only when it is combined with the second layer of the Shadowless Art will you have sufficient protection."

"A petty, insignificant god, a mere beast of burden. His abilities are nothing remarkable, yet he leaves endless trouble behind. He deserves to be sliced into a thousand pieces."

"No wonder the Bookless Divine King wants to pursue that beast. If not for your sake, I would have wanted to issue a spacetime pursuit order myself!"

It was Zhao Xing's first time seeing the Boundless True God curse so viciously, and he could not help clicking his tongue inwardly.

Lao Qing really was unbelievably capable. Zhao Xing did not know what twists and turns lay behind this, but what kind of person was the Boundless True God?

Yet Lao Qing had actually driven him to such impatience.

"Divine Venerable, please calm your anger. Fortune and misfortune depend upon each other. Perhaps I may gain something from this journey," Zhao Xing said. He could not exactly join the Boundless True God in cursing Lao Qing, so he could only offer a word of consolation.

He remembered Lao Qing saying that after the two met, he had indeed encountered some trouble, but he had also gained greatly.

For instance, they each possessed one Key of Inheritance. Zhao Xing remembered that very clearly.

The Boundless True God nodded. "Fine. After you find him, remember to give him a thorough beating for me. Tell him I am the one who ordered it."

"...Yes."

Another three years passed. On this day, Zhao Xing received a summons from the Boundless True God and arrived before the Bell Mountain Throne.

At that moment, a phantom white book floated beside the Boundless True God's throne.

The Boundless True God had his head lowered, speaking to the white book.

A moment later, the white book's cover turned toward Zhao Xing and split open like a mouth, opening and closing. "You understand the rules, correct?"

Zhao Xing nodded respectfully. "I swear upon my heart of attainment: I will not ask, I will not know, I will not remember. There will be no cause and no effect."

Yu Yu Hakusho was the divine artifact entrusted by a Historical Scholar. It was usually the manifestation used by members of the True History Faction.

Although Zhao Xing and Qing Yuzi had a karmic connection, Qing Yuzi was hidden too deeply. Thus, Zhao Xing only had clues from his time remnant and could not directly use that karma to locate Qing Yuzi in the Yellow Silent Extinction World.

To be safe, the Boundless True God had invited a Historical Scholar.

However, Zhao Xing did not know the other party's rank, name, or origin.

This was done to ensure the level of Divine Concealment.

Afterward, Zhao Xing also had to forget what happened today.

"If there are no issues, then let us begin."

The Boundless True God waved his hand.

Yu Yu Hakusho flew down, opened a page, and enveloped Zhao Xing from above.

"Whoosh—"

A bronze river immediately appeared before Zhao Xing's eyes. Countless scenes from the River of Time flashed before him, as though history had passed before his eyes.

Yet Zhao Xing could not truly see any of it clearly.

Before long, however, it gradually came to a halt.

"Karmic guidance, traces left by time."

"Think carefully of the person you seek. Remember: everything unrelated to him, do not know, do not ask, do not remember."

"You will see the details. When you feel you can stop, stop."

Zhao Xing nodded and began as instructed.

Before long, an image of Qing Yuzi appeared before him. The time was the later period of the Second Era of the Desolate Territory.

Qing Yuzi had taken off from the Tianyou Ancient Kingdom aboard a Space-Time Ark and begun traveling through time.

Zhao Xing understood. He was witnessing Qing Yuzi's working life.

The flickering light slowed, gradually coming to a halt. Soon, Zhao Xing entered Qing Yuzi's first-person perspective and found himself in a pitch-black well shaft.

"Hm? Where is Lao Qing? Why does this feel like an Ink Well?"

Zhao Xing examined the surroundings. Though somewhat blurry, he could roughly tell that this was a mine tunnel.

It resembled the Ink Well on Penglai Island.

After becoming a god, Lao Qing traveled through time. Could his first job have been as an Ink Well Guardian?

The truth proved that Zhao Xing had guessed wrong.

"Smack!"

A divine whip suddenly lashed over. The intense pain made Qing Yuzi curl up and roar:

"Stop! Stop! I already told you, I'm not an Earthly Advantage Faction Shennong! Why am I digging mines at Hell Feast Mountain—!"

"You blind fools! I should be going to—(censored)"

"Ah—"

Yet the divine whip did not stop. It kept lashing him until Qing Yuzi was barely alive.

Throughout it all, mechanical voices kept repeating words such as mission, deadline, and punishment.

Since that True History Faction expert had said that some things were blurred out and should not be deliberately remembered, Zhao Xing did not try to figure them out too closely.

In short, from this perspective, Qing Yuzi seemed to have entered a hostile faction, been mistaken for an independent cultivator, then captured and sent to mine in some region.

"How miserable, Lao Qing. This is truly heartbreaking." A faint smile tugged at Zhao Xing's lips.

He waved to signal the white book overhead to turn the page and skip this portion of the experience.

Who knew how much time had passed? When the perspective stabilized for the second time, Qing Yuzi's surroundings had already changed.

It was no longer a bright place, but a grassy field filled with birdsong, flowers, and abundant spiritual energy.

"He escaped. Does that mean things got better?" Zhao Xing wondered. Yet the perspective suddenly lowered, and the grass on the ground began to move, accompanied by chewing sounds.

At first, Zhao Xing did not understand what was happening. But when the perspective slowly shifted toward a riverbank—

He saw the reflection of a green ox in the water.

The green ox's gaze was somewhat vacant. A Demon-Locking Ring was fitted around its nose, and a branded mark lay on the left side of its abdomen.

It read: Some Imperial Demon God Bureau.

"Pfft, meow~"

Zhao Xing could not help laughing aloud. Even the Boundless True God on the throne had no idea what had happened.

Why was he laughing now?

Zhao Xing truly could not hold it in.

So the image of the green ox he had seen in the time remnant had actually been real.

Qing Yuzi had transformed into a beast god with the Transformation of Seasons Art, only to be captured by some Evil God faction and brought back to be raised in captivity.

He had thought Lao Qing's life had improved, yet he had merely escaped the tiger's den and entered the wolf's lair.

This was fucking too miserable.

Zhao Xing watched Lao Qing's life in captivity for a while. This time, he did not even have the ability to explain himself.

It was clear that Qing Yuzi desperately wanted to say that he was human, not a real demonic beast.

But after several brutal beatings, Qing Yuzi became obedient and patiently waited for an opportunity.

"During the Five Emperors Era, the relationship between the Demon Race and the Human Race was terrible. The Ancient God Clan, being Innate Gods, was powerful and naturally vicious. They either brutally suppressed or hunted the Demon Race."

"If he encountered certain black-hearted divine officials, then even if they knew Lao Qing had transformed from a human through the Transformation of Seasons Art, they probably would not let him go, because that would count as merit."

Zhao Xing continued watching. Roughly several thousand years later—

Qing Yuzi went from being a lamb awaiting slaughter to successfully escaping death—he became the mount of a certain divine general.

As for who that divine general was, Zhao Xing did not check. He only knew that the man carried a sword and wore the common attire of a martial artist.

The perspective swept past several times, and Lao Qing appeared on a battlefield each time, charging into battle alongside that martial divine general.

"Skip it."

After watching for a while, Zhao Xing had the white book continue sliding along the karma thread.

It was already hard to tell how much time had passed.

Suns rose and fell across the white book. At least thirty Solar Years had gone by.

Qing Yuzi was either an ox or a horse, or else someone was drawing his blood, or he had transformed into an elm tree to hide.

He drifted constantly from place to place, with scarcely any periods of peace.

Zhao Xing gradually could not bear to watch any longer and rapidly skipped past the miserable segments.

Only when the green ox's phantom turned back into a human did Zhao Xing call for a stop again.

The time remnant became clear once more.

After returning to human form, Qing Yuzi's environment had changed as well. He seemed to have left his previous faction and entered a new one.

His position was finally no longer that of an ox or horse mount. Instead, he had been assigned to manage riverways in a place with sparse spiritual energy.

He had become an Agriculture Official.

By then, after thirty Solar Years and nearly thirty thousand star-years, Qing Yuzi had finally gained a foothold.

This time, Zhao Xing also clearly learned the name of Lao Qing's faction—Bookless Divine Domain.

"Not Easy."

Zhao Xing could not help sighing.

Looking back on Qing Yuzi with his current perspective, Lao Qing's cultivation talent had actually been quite mediocre. Even after luckily becoming a god and obtaining the origin of the Eastern Extension Ancient God, he could only be considered below average among the Divine Soldier Grade.

Only after arriving in the Bookless Divine Domain, when Qing Yuzi became an Agriculture God official responsible for managing void riverways, did his fate begin to change.

Perhaps because he had once been Lord Tianyou and had experience handling the Li Star River Upheaval, Qing Yuzi quickly began to distinguish himself.

After traveling to the Five Emperors Era, the more favorable cultivation environment also caused Qing Yuzi's aptitude to begin transforming.

Zhao Xing discovered that Lao Qing's cultivation speed was growing faster and faster. At first, he had struggled greatly to cast spells against god-level natural disasters, needing formations—

Bestowed divine artifacts, and the cooperation of his colleagues before he could resist them.

But three thousand years later, Qing Yuzi could resolve them alone.

"During the Five Emperors Era, the Great Dao Origin was abundant, and one could sense the Dao more clearly. Even a small reward allowed Lao Qing to make enormous progress."

"Like a desert that had been dry for ages finally receiving a sweet rainfall, his aptitude and fortune were both changing dramatically."

Yet this rapid advancement soon came to a halt before the threshold of divine general.

No matter how hard he tried, Lao Qing seemed unable to rise in Bookless Divine King City.

Zhao Xing continued sliding the pages, stopping around the time Lao Qing became a divine general.

"Hm? How did Lao Qing become a divine general?"

"I clearly remember he had seven or eight competitors. There was no way he could become a regional guardian divine official, so why did he obtain the Profound Heaven Taisui Armor now?"

"The Profound Heaven Taisui Armor and the position of regional guardian divine official were the key to Lao Qing becoming a divine general. I don't know what happened that allowed him to defeat the other competitors."

Zhao Xing was puzzled. He wanted to take a closer look, but suddenly remembered the white book's warning and could only suppress his curiosity.

For a long time afterward, Qing Yuzi remained a regional guardian divine official in Bookless Divine King City, and his experiences no longer changed much.

Qing Yuzi only occasionally traveled far away, though Zhao Xing did not know where he went.

During that period, Lao Qing rarely fought. But whenever he did fight, he always gained something.

Zhao Xing did not know whether he was killing people from Bookless Divine King City or those from hostile factions.

Pages turned, continuously turning—

Soon, Zhao Xing saw the most important battle.

Qing Yuzi invited a palace divine general from Bookless Divine King City to visit his estate. He drugged the man with divine medicine, took his blood, and ultimately transformed into that palace divine general's appearance through the Transformation of Seasons Art before entering the Bookless Divine King Palace.

"Whoosh~"

The fragment before him became unstable, breaking apart intermittently.

Zhao Xing saw Lao Qing plant an elm tree in some garden.

He also saw him stand guard before the Hall of Light belonging to the Bookless Divine King.

And secretly meet with a certain god.

Zhao Xing kept turning pages. By the time the image stabilized, Qing Yuzi had already begun fleeing.

In the Yellow Silent Extinction World, Qing Yuzi had built a temple and was dressed in priestly robes.

He anxiously paced and jumped around before a fire cauldron.

He muttered under his breath.

"Connect already! Hurry up and connect for me, ahhh!"

"This is my, Qing Yuzi's, chance to become famous!"

The scorching heat from the fire cauldron was suffocating. Even Zhao Xing's vision blurred as he watched.

"Is Lao Qing crying from anxiety?"

"Or is he suffering backlash from a spell?"

After an unknown amount of time, Qing Yuzi seemed to have made progress. He jumped up happily and shouted:

"Yes, yes, exactly like that! Hurry and tell Zhao Xing!"

"Only he can understand what I mean!"

Zhao Xing suddenly understood. He realized that this scene was precisely when he had received messages from the Purple God Mansion Lord and the others.

Not long afterward, through Qing Yuzi's hint, he had understood the History Book Worm disaster and the Epoch Worm calamity that the Evil God Faction had launched against the Empire, the Demon Race, and the various major factions.

With a rustle, the pages continued turning. Zhao Xing found that the scenes afterward had become exceedingly blurry, while the time remnants attached to the karma thread slowly faded as well. Occasionally, he could see himself appearing within them.

"That should be enough." Zhao Xing seemed to gain some understanding. "According to the True History Faction, from the moment Qing Yuzi appeared in the Yellow Silent Extinction World—

My involvement became necessary."

"A particular space-time entanglement appeared in the karma thread between us. A streak of black emerged in the River of Time, and reality and nothingness experienced a 'break' and a 'continuance.' If I do not go, both he and I will suffer severe backlash. In serious cases, it may even cause a Space-Time Memory Impact, or make one of us disappear entirely."

"If I go, then I must complete a space-time karmic loop."

Time travel was not without cost. It was simply that under normal circumstances, whether Demigods or Divine Soldiers, everyone followed plans and strict actions laid out by experienced great gods.

It was not as if one could go wherever one wished or do whatever one wanted.

Qing Yuzi had caused a major incident in Bookless Divine King City. His actions had clearly already broken free of the safety rules of time travel.

He had been affected for one reason because he had benefited from what Qing Yuzi did. Since he had received benefits, he naturally had to bear some of the backlash as well.

The second reason was that when Lao Qing was later trapped, he had, by a twist of fate, passed the Space-Time Incense Technique to Zhao Xing when he was still a Demigod.

According to the Boundless True God, Qing Yuzi was not particularly capable, but the trouble he caused was enormous. He was practically courting death.

Even without a pursuit order, Qing Yuzi would become very unlucky afterward and would one day fall to the backlash.

"Stop!"

At that moment, Zhao Xing instructed the white book to stop completely and cease moving.

"Here."

Zhao Xing tapped a page in the white book.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

With a ripping sound, a page was torn from the white book and drifted into Zhao Xing's hand. The viewing ended at the same time.

"Boundless, the task is complete. I should leave now," Yu Yu Hakusho said.

"Alright. Hard Work." The Boundless True God separated a thread and wrapped it around the book. "If you have any orders, call and I will come."

Yu Yu Hakusho's voice finally gained a trace of emotion. He seemed quite happy. "Farewell~"

Whoosh~

Yu Yu Hakusho entered a space-time passage and left Divine Machine City.

The Boundless True God looked at the page in Zhao Xing's hand, which contained secrets concerning a river, then withdrew his gaze.

"Zhao Xing, now that you have seen the specific situation through Yu Yu Hakusho, assess it yourself. Is there danger?"

"You must understand that for this trip to the Silent Extinction World, I cannot send experts to protect you, nor can I travel with you, lest an even greater accident be triggered."

What angered the Boundless True God was precisely this. The karmic entanglement and space-time break caused by Qing Yuzi and Zhao Xing could not be easily interfered with. There were too many variables involved, and Zhao Xing could only close the loop himself.

If a True God like him accompanied Zhao Xing, it might even have the opposite effect.

"Divine Venerable, I believe there will be no problem." Zhao Xing said solemnly, "That senior gave me a Directional Time Page. Through it, I can directly enter the Yellow Silent Extinction World and arrive near Qing Yuzi."

"Finding him will be easy."

"As for danger, this subordinate believes that any trial carries some degree of danger. Absolute safety cannot be called a trial." Zhao Xing spoke earnestly.

The Boundless True God nodded. Naturally, he understood that principle. He simply valued Zhao Xing too highly and had become overly worried.

"Divine Venerable." Zhao Xing took a Dao scripture from his robes. "This contains a positioning spell from the Ten Directions Mountain Scripture. The Mountain Opening Spell is not yet fully perfected, but over these past thousands of years, I have made further improvements to the Spirit-Elephant Positioning Art—"

"Bang!" Before he could even finish speaking, the Boundless True God's face darkened and he shattered it.

"Zhao Xing, what do you take me for?"

"Divine Venerable—" Zhao Xing suddenly realized that his display of loyalty seemed to have had the opposite effect. The Boundless True God appeared to be angry.

"Do you think I rescued you from your suffering for the sake of your Ten Directions Mountain Scripture?"

"Do you think I worry that you will enter the Yellow Silent Extinction World and never return because I fear I will never obtain the Ten Directions Mountain Scripture?"

"What a joke!"

"Please calm your anger, Divine Venerable. That was absolutely not my intention." Zhao Xing immediately tried to remedy the situation, saying decisively, "The Ten Directions Mountain Scripture is still only a rough first draft. How could it possibly matter to you? I merely thought that, should something unforeseen happen, it could at least remain in the hands of someone worthy of entrusting it to."

"With your methods, Divine Venerable, you could surely cultivate another Minister of Agriculture and have them inherit this scripture."

The Boundless True God's expression eased somewhat, but he still shook his head. "I understand your intentions, but you need not do this."

"What I value is you as a person, not a scripture. If some accident truly happens as you say, I will not even bother studying the Ten Directions Mountain Scripture."

Seeing the change in the Boundless True God's tone, and that he no longer referred to himself as this god, Zhao Xing quietly sighed in relief.

In truth, he had not been trying to curry favor with the Boundless True God. He truly regarded him as a like-minded fellow Daoist, which was why he had tried to entrust the scripture to him. Who would have thought that the Boundless True God would misunderstand instead?

Fortunately, the Boundless True God was boundlessly broad-minded as well. Since everything had been explained, he quickly put it out of mind, and the topic returned to Qing Yuzi and the Yellow Silent Extinction World.

"What time do you plan to leave?" the Boundless True God asked.

"Qing Yuzi is in danger. The sooner I set out, the better," Zhao Xing said.

"Whoosh—" The Boundless True God opened a door within the great hall, and a pale-blue vortex portal flickered.

"Go. Once the Minglei Seal is completed, return as soon as possible," the Boundless True God instructed.

Once the Minglei Seal was completed, it would mean that both Zhao Xing and Qing Yuzi had escaped the effects of the spacetime aftershock caused by that foretold calamity.

"Yes." Zhao Xing took a deep breath, stepped through the spacetime gate, and vanished.

You have arrived in the Luo Emperor Era, Star Emblem Era, Fifth Solar Year.

You have descended upon the Yellow Silent Extinction World, Yi Divine Kingdom, outside Stormwind City, Earth Vein coordinates, Celestial Timing Institute coordinates (click to view details)

"Yellow Silent Extinction World, Yi Divine Kingdom, Stormwind City?"

Zhao Xing held the Time Page in his hand and sensed it carefully. He discovered that Qing Yuzi seemed to be inside the city.

"What a terrible environment." Zhao Xing looked up. The sky was packed with dark clouds, poison filled the air, yellow sand whirled about, and chunks of rock and great trees drifted through the heavens in tornado-force winds.

The ground beneath his feet was unstable as well, constantly splitting apart and trembling. A mountain flashed before Zhao Xing's eyes.

But that mountain soon disappeared, and new peaks emerged in its place.

"Wind calamities, poison calamities, and unceasing shifts in the earth. The origins of all other Great Daos have weakened, while only the Great Dao of Destruction has become extraordinarily strong."

"I wonder how Lao Qing is doing now. I can vaguely sense intense fluctuations in his state of mind. Could he be in danger?"

Zhao Xing did not dare delay and immediately flew toward the direction he sensed.

"This feels so good." Within Stormwind City, in a magnificent and lavish pavilion, Qing Yuzi lay on a soft cotton bed. Silk curtains screened him on three sides, while ravishing beauties attended to him.

One fed him wine, one kneaded his shoulders, and one massaged his legs.

The uncovered side featured floor-to-ceiling windows. Beyond them stood a stage where dazzling radiant lights danced through the air, and divine maidens who were dance masters swayed gracefully.

"It's been so long since I relaxed like this. I've been hiding and running all along the way. Only now can I finally enjoy myself." Qing Yuzi lay in a beauty's embrace and rubbed against her ample bosom, drawing a coquettish laugh from her.

Just as the thought of dual cultivation arose in his mind, a maid suddenly came in from beyond the screen and said softly, "Your Highness, there is a guest outside looking for you."

"Looking for me?" Qing Yuzi lifted his head from her bosom, his face full of vigilance. "Who is it? Did he give his name?"

"No. He only said, 'An old acquaintance from Purple Mansion Earth Star, Shen Luo.'"

Qing Yuzi's expression shook. "Quick, invite him in."

"Yes."

Zhao Xing entered suspiciously. He was currently disguised as Han Bing, and when he found this private room, he had not even been sure whether his senses had led him astray.

The moment he stepped into the private room, he immediately confirmed that it was indeed Qing Yuzi.

But when Zhao Xing saw Qing Yuzi surrounded by beauties, served with fine wine and delicacies, then looked at the stage outside the window, his expression immediately fell.

"Sorry, wrong person."

Zhao Xing turned around and left.

Damn it, he had rushed here in a blaze of urgency, yet Qing Yuzi was actually indulging himself in this den of pleasure?

Absolutely inhuman!

"Wait!" Qing Yuzi immediately rushed over and grabbed Zhao Xing. Then he turned to the maids and said, "All of you, leave first."

"Yes." The maids promptly left the private room.

Layers of formations sealed shut. Only then did Qing Yuzi ask with a shocked expression, "It really is you. But how did you end up here? Have you become a god?"

Zhao Xing looked at Qing Yuzi for a moment, and the anger in his heart dissipated.

Because this Qing Yuzi was not the one trapped inside a God King's corpse and begging him for help.

In other words, Qing Yuzi knew nothing about everything that would happen later, so naturally he was astonished by Zhao Xing's appearance.

"It's a long story." Zhao Xing sighed.

"Then sit down first. Tell me slowly." Qing Yuzi invited Zhao Xing to take a seat.

When Zhao Xing saw the extravagant furnishings and the stage outside, he could not help saying, "Lao Qing, weren't you running for your life? How do you still have the mind to enjoy things like this?"

Qing Yuzi shook his head. "You've misunderstood me."

"I came to the Supreme Truth Pavilion not to seek pleasure, but because I have important business."

"What important business? Let's hear it," Zhao Xing asked.

"It's a long story." Qing Yuzi grew somewhat excited. "You have no idea how much has happened to me here."

"Tell me slowly." Zhao Xing smiled. "I happen to have many questions that I need you to answer."

Meeting again in a foreign land was rare enough, let alone meeting across different spacetime. Both of them were somewhat excited.

But they quickly regained their composure. Qing Yuzi knew that Zhao Xing's appearance here must have a reason.

So they soon began discussing serious matters.

"You ask first." Qing Yuzi took a sip of wine, seeming somewhat excited. Having done so many major things, he finally had someone he could confide in, and he was already impatient.

"I want to know whether that Eastern Extension Ancient God back then belonged to the Celestial Timing Giant Beast race."

"Yes." Qing Yuzi nodded. "I truly am the Celestial Timing Shennong God."

"Then someone instructed you to travel through spacetime?" Zhao Xing asked.

"So you figured it out too." Qing Yuzi nodded with a smile, admitting it. "That's right, just as you thought."

"That Eastern Extension Ancient God's existence was concealed by the Moon God Palace Master."

"After being resurrected, the Eastern Extension Ancient God joined our side following that incident."

"And precisely because he was an undercover agent in Bookless Divine King City, I was able to stir up the situation and successfully steal intelligence," Qing Yuzi said. "Of course, I won't mention his specific name."

Zhao Xing raised his cup in a toast. "Even so, this is still a feat that will shake all ages. A toast to you!"

Qing Yuzi smiled, raised his cup, and drained it in one gulp.

After setting down his cup, Zhao Xing asked, "Then did Bookless Divine King City not discover that person's identity?"

Qing Yuzi shook his head. "The Palace Master is a God King of the history path and holds the Profound Spirit History Book. If he wishes to conceal certain matters, it is difficult for anyone to uncover the truth."

"Even if the Bookless Divine King interrogated every Ancient God of the East Yan Ancient Clan, what he obtained might not be the truth."

"Unless he killed every Eastern Extension Ancient God, thereby eliminating all future trouble. But that would inevitably chill the hearts of the ancient clans."

"Evil Gods spread their teachings during the Wilderness Era, and it is difficult for us to stop them.

"Conversely, it is also difficult for us to guard against the infiltration of certain forces."

Zhao Xing nodded. The Desolate Territory Faction had reasons for remaining unshaken.

He had previously guessed that Lao Qing and that Eastern Extension Ancient God had been part of some arrangement by the Moon God Palace Master from the very beginning.

Putting himself in their shoes, Lao Qing's work in past spacetime might well have been the execution of some plan.

Lao Qing was merely a Divine General. Could he have stolen major secrets without an insider? No matter how capable he was, it would probably have been impossible for him to escape safely.

"Then how did you come here?" Qing Yuzi asked curiously after setting down his wine cup.

"I am now a member of Divine Machine City." Zhao Xing offered only that explanation.

"How high is your status?" Qing Yuzi asked. Zhao Xing must have received a mission similar to his own and come here to act as an undercover agent.

But being able to go undercover beneath the Boundless True God meant Zhao Xing's starting point was far higher than his own.

"Somewhat high." Zhao Xing smiled. "The Boundless True God personally sent me here. The True God bestowed a territory upon me, with three Alchemy Pavilions, countless treasures and exotic beasts. There are even 526 beast gods alone for experiments."

"I won't say anything else."

"What?!" The wine cup in Qing Yuzi's hand fell, and he stared in shock. "You're not joking?"

He had guessed that Zhao Xing's starting point would be high, since Zhao Xing's talent was exceptionally strong and far surpassed his own.

But he had never expected Zhao Xing to be valued so highly.

Qing Yuzi immediately found the wine less enjoyable.

Damn it, he had started out as a workhorse!

"Then... you came to the Yellow Silent Extinction World to train?" Qing Yuzi asked with difficulty. "There isn't any mission or menial work you need to do?"

"More or less." Zhao Xing nodded. "No."

"..." Qing Yuzi had no reply.

Comparing people really could make one furious.

"Wait, how were you able to find me so precisely?" Qing Yuzi asked doubtfully.

"After descending, I discovered your existence through karma, so I came looking for you." Zhao Xing did not reveal the real reason. If he said it now, it might change certain matters, which could harm both Qing Yuzi and himself.

"You and I truly share a deep fate." Qing Yuzi sighed with emotion and raised his cup. "To fate!"

"Cheers!" Zhao Xing also raised his cup and drained it in one gulp.

And so, as the two spoke back and forth for a long time, they finally confirmed each other's positions completely and gained deep trust.

Only then did Qing Yuzi explain why he had been watching the dancing at the Supreme Truth Pavilion in Stormwind City.

"Zhao Xing, don't take me for the kind of person whose Dao heart is weak and who is trapped by worldly desires." Qing Yuzi pointed at the group of divine maidens dancing outside the window. "Do you see the dance master in the center wearing colorful robes? She is Fairy Lianyin, a Divine General-level god of dance and music!"

"She's impressive?" Zhao Xing asked.

"Yes, she is impressive," Qing Yuzi said. "But I'm not referring to her strength. I mean her connections are impressive."

"You also know that the Silent Extinction World is a gathering place for many independent cultivators. To evade pursuit by enemies, many Evil Gods hide here as well."

"Fairy Lianyin knows many secret pieces of information from both within and beyond the Great Yellow World."

"Rumor has it that behind her stands some God King in Divine Concealment, who merely uses her voice to entertain the mortal world."

"And as long as you can meet her once, you can obtain the intelligence you want from her." Qing Yuzi waved his hand, and a Divine Power Tower appeared in his palm.

Zhao Xing focused his eyes and found that it was actually a fully charged Divine General-level Divine Power Tower.

Lao Qing gave it a gentle push. A passage appeared in the window, and the Divine Power Tower disappeared.

"You rewarded her with a Divine General-level Divine Power Tower just like that?" Zhao Xing was somewhat surprised. Lao Qing had truly grown wealthy.

"As long as I can meet her once, it will be completely worth it."

"Zhao Xing, you came at just the right time." Qing Yuzi kept taking out treasures as he spoke. "I haven't been staying in the Great Yellow World for nothing. I encountered a great opportunity."

Qing Yuzi lowered his voice. "I exchanged this great opportunity from the Profound Spirit Treasury after rendering meritorious service, but I am still missing some pieces of the puzzle."

"As long as I can complete this puzzle, I will not only escape the trouble of being pursued, but also obtain an enormous treasure trove. You absolutely cannot imagine how great it is!"

I can't imagine it? Just tell me directly, damn it. Zhao Xing found it amusing inwardly.

It seemed the Key of Inheritance was what Lao Qing had obtained from the Great Yellow World.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—"

Qing Yuzi continuously tossed out one Divine Power Tower after another. These were hard currency.

It was now time for Fairy Lianyin's thank-you gifts, and also the time for the spectators to offer rewards.

The window resembled a screen, displaying a ranking list. Names were concealed, but the rankings of those who gave gifts could be shown.

Qing Yuzi continuously sent out gifts and had now risen to first place. "The top three can all meet Fairy Lianyin and obtain some information from her," Qing Yuzi explained. "If we miss this chance,

we'll have to wait another fifty thousand years for the next one."

"That's outrageous." Zhao Xing looked at the rankings. The gifts sent by the top three had already reached a terrifying number.

Zhao Xing calculated that if converted into Contribution Points from the Profound Spirit Treasury, each of the top three had already given fifty billion, while first place had exceeded one hundred billion.

And this was only the beginning. The reward-giving segment would last an entire day!

"Lao Qing is rich." Zhao Xing felt that his own gains had already been great. After receiving the inheritance from Penglai Divine General, he had once possessed sixty billion Contribution Points, but even that could not sustain spending like this.

It seemed Qing Yuzi's tremendous merit had already been redeemed in some spacetime.

Since Lao Qing was so confident, Zhao Xing said nothing further and simply watched quietly.

As gifts were sent out, magnificent visual effects appeared on the stage. Every time a major gift was given, cries of surprise erupted from the crowd.

"Not bad, this is actually kind of interesting." Zhao Xing smiled. Fairy Lianyin was not a native life-form of the Great Yellow World, and those she dealt with were all desperadoes. If she were elsewhere, even selling intelligence would not create such a spectacle.

By nightfall, the competition became increasingly fierce.

Qing Yuzi held steady in third place, though he was not far ahead of fourth.

Occasionally, he would be overtaken and drop to fourth, but Lao Qing would promptly pull ahead again.

"There's only half an hour left. Zhao Xing, why don't you have some fun too?" Qing Yuzi handed over a World Ring.

"Sure." Zhao Xing did not refuse. It was not bad to indulge himself once in a while.

In the final half hour, fourth place stopped trying to catch up.

But a voice came from outside the room.

A maid reported, "Your Highnesses, a guest from the Divine Moon Hall requests an audience."

"Divine Moon Hall?" Zhao Xing asked doubtfully. "Who?"

Qing Yuzi smiled. "It should be the private room in fourth place. There is no need to bother with him."

Zhao Xing nodded. It seemed fourth place wanted to contend for the opportunity but was unwilling to spend too high a price.

During the final half hour, someone came to ask again. This time, it was not a maid, but two pavilion masters of higher status.

They said, "Your Highness, the guest from the Divine Moon Hall has voluntarily revealed his identity. He is Divine General Qiongyu, the direct grandson of Xi Heaven Divine King."

"He says that if Your Highness is willing to yield, he is willing to offer one hundred Divine Power Towers to forge a good connection."

Qing Yuzi looked calmly at one of the pavilion masters. "Tell him that I do not care whose God King's grandson he is. If he has the ability, he can spend his own money to rise in the rankings."

"Also, I do not wish for there to be a third message delivered on his behalf."

The pavilion master's expression changed slightly. "Yes. The Supreme Truth Pavilion will absolutely not disturb you again."

After the deputy pavilion master left, Qing Yuzi's expression turned solemn. "We cannot remain at the Supreme Truth Pavilion for long."

"That man, as a deputy pavilion master, dared disturb me twice. This proves that he may reveal your and my whereabouts to Xi Heaven Divine King's direct grandson."

"Once we meet Fairy Lianyin, we must run."

Zhao Xing nodded. Lao Qing was highly vigilant. By the rules, this pavilion master should not have come to deliver the message a second time, yet he still did. Either he owed fourth place a favor and had no choice but to come, or he had accepted benefits.

Either way, he had already broken the rules somewhat. He might break them again, so they had to be on guard.

"There's only the last quarter hour left. This Divine General Qiongyu suddenly overtook me by a huge margin." Qing Yuzi smiled. "But I think that's all he has."

Qing Yuzi looked at the rankings. He had dropped from third to fourth, but he remained unhurried.

He leisurely placed treasures into the offering, quickly overtaking the other party, yet only by a tiny margin.

"Hmph, competing with me in wealth." Qing Yuzi's heroic spirit surged. "Little does he know that I am no longer who I once was!"

"Overtake him!"

At the final moment, the bell rang.

The reward-giving segment ended.

At center stage, Fairy Lianyin, surrounded by dazzling special effects, smiled and offered her thanks in every direction.

"Lianyin thanks everyone for your generous support~"

"Words cannot express my gratitude. Later, Lianyin will perform an encore dance to show her thanks."

Cheers rang out. Zhao Xing withdrew his gaze and merely watched the rankings.

The final rankings were set. Qing Yuzi placed third.

As for fourth place, it trailed Qing Yuzi by only a little.

He had no chance of seeing Fairy Lianyin.

"Done." Qing Yuzi clapped his hands, smiling.