River of Time

Biodata

Background / History

The River of Time is a real trans-temporal existence rather than a metaphor. It contains paths to the past, present, and future, though merely touching its domain normally requires at least Immortal King strength 112.

Ying Hao first enters it with the Kunlun Mirror after empowering the Innate Spiritual Treasure with Primordial True Qi. The mirror manifests the river, whose waves carry him toward another era 129. Unlike ordinary Immortal Kings, who can only roam the river as though looking across it, the Kunlun Mirror enables Ying Hao to physically enter distant time-spaces 130.

During his visit to the Immortal Ancient Era, Ying Hao joins Wuzhong Immortal King, Six Paths Reincarnation Immortal King, and other Immortal Kings in severing part of the River of Time. Their combined effort creates a small space that projects the people and events of the Immortal Ancient Era to future observers, preserving the era as a legacy 131.

The river later repeatedly draws Ying Hao into earlier eras because of his connection to the Desolate Heaven Emperor. It carries him upstream when an Immortal King attempts to interfere with the young Desolate Heaven Emperor, then later serves as the route through which Ying Hao explores the Era of Emperor Fall, the Sea of Worlds, and other historical nodes 138 162 167.

Appearance

When manifested, the River of Time appears as a vast, radiant river flowing through space-time. Its currents contain the aura and force of ages, while its waves can engulf cultivators and transport them across eras 129 138.

• A magnificent, luminous river that may emerge directly from the Kunlun Mirror 129.
• Enormous waves capable of carrying beings upstream or downstream through time 138 167.
• Flowing lights, fleeting shadows, and heavy mist that obscure distant eras and figures within its current 129 140.
• Violent temporal turbulence when powerful beings clash across different time-spaces 164 170.

Abilities & Laws

Temporal Transit

The River of Time connects distinct eras and allows sufficiently powerful beings to travel between them.

• Immortal Kings can enter its domain and roam among the past, present, and future, though truly entering another era is extremely difficult 112 130.
• The Kunlun Mirror can carry its wielder across time and space more effectively than ordinary Immortal King methods 129 130.
• Its currents can sweep individuals into an unknown era or return them to their original time-space 138 140.
• It may be used as an emergency escape route, as three Weird Quasi-Immortal Emperors flee into it from the Soul River 201.

Temporal Backlash

The River of Time reacts violently when its flow is disturbed or when beings interfere with events that do not belong to their own era.

• An attack on a powerful individual within the river can trigger its might and draw connected experts to intervene 138.
• Attempting to kill someone who is not meant to perish at that point in history risks intervention by a stronger being or the collapse of the River of Time itself 139.
• Battles between beings from different time-spaces cause the river to churn and can produce immense karmic consequences 164 170.
• Quasi-Immortal Emperors can fight across timelines, but cannot freely alter those timelines without risking catastrophic repercussions 170.

Resistance and Suppression

The River of Time's influence can be resisted or altered by exceptional treasures and sufficiently high realms.

• The Kunlun Mirror can suppress the river's backlash and isolate the effects of cross-temporal battles 170 175.
• Ying Hao uses the mirror to stand outside the river's usual constraints while assisting the Immortal Ancient Era Immortal Kings 131.
• Immortal Emperor-level battles are described as unbound by ordinary time and space, with combatants appearing throughout the River of Time rather than at a single point 207 208.
• Sacrifice Dao experts are completely unaffected by the river; they may sever it or even extend tributaries from it 231.
• The arrival and attacks of Weird Ancestors fracture, reverse, and nearly collapse sections of the river 230 233 251.

Relationships

• Ying Hao / Haotian the Great Emperor — The River of Time is his primary route for exploring other eras, studying Reincarnation, and observing the Desolate Heaven Emperor's path 129 138 162.
• Kunlun Mirror — An Innate Spiritual Treasure that manifests, traverses, suppresses, and isolates the River of Time's power 129 170 175.
• Wuzhong Immortal King — Cooperates with Ying Hao and other Immortal Kings to sever the river and preserve an imprint of the Immortal Ancient Era for future generations 131.
• Six Paths Reincarnation Immortal King — Uses the shattered Six Paths Reincarnation Disk alongside the other Immortal Kings to expose the river's downstream and establish the Immortal Ancient legacy space 131.
• Desolate Heaven Emperor — His existence across countless drops of essence blood is distributed throughout the River of Time, making him difficult to mark or confine within any single temporal point 140 162.
• Weird Ancestors — Sacrifice Dao entities whose presence and attacks can sever or destabilize the River of Time on a massive scale 230 231 251.

Story Role / Major Arcs

• Immortal Ancient legacy — Ying Hao, Wuzhong Immortal King, Six Paths Reincarnation Immortal King, and other Immortal Kings sever part of the River of Time to create an enduring projection of the Immortal Ancient Era 131.
• First contact with the Desolate Heaven Emperor — The river carries Ying Hao upstream to stop an Immortal King from tampering with the young Desolate Heaven Emperor's timeline 138 139.
• Kunlun Mirror marker — Ying Hao leaves the Kunlun Mirror within the river after failing to place an imprint on the Desolate Heaven Emperor, whose existence spans past, present, and future 140.
• Return to the Immortal Ancient Era — Using the mirror's temporal anchor, Ying Hao travels upstream to the era of the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands' war with the Foreign Land 142.
• Era of Emperor Fall exploration — Ying Hao journeys through the river to witness the Desolate Heaven Emperor's battle against Immortal King Anlan and observe the He Transforms into Great Freedom Great Law 163 167.
• Soul River pursuit — Weird Quasi-Immortal Emperors flee through the River of Time, pursued by Ye Fan, Great Emperor Wushi, the Ruthless Great Emperor, and later Ying Hao 201 203.
• War beyond the Myriad Worlds — Immortal Emperors and Weird Ancestors wage battles that fracture the River of Time and affect temporal spaces across the Myriad Worlds 208 230 248.