Gu Qingshan suddenly realized.
This wasn't the Ancient Era. It was tens of thousands of years later!
Just as during the Fire Tribulation, amid the Four Tribulations, he had broken free of the Era Reflection and returned to his own flow of time.
Gu Qingshan gazed at the boundless gray torrent and asked cautiously, "May I ask if there's a problem with me undergoing my tribulation here?"
"No problem. This is an ancient pact I made with the Human Race. It lasts for eternity," the giant formed from the gray torrent replied.
"A pact?" Gu Qingshan couldn't help asking.
"Yes. Cultivators are wondrous lifeforms among the Human Race. They must draw upon every source of power to strengthen themselves," the giant rumbled. "That's why you made an ancient pact with me: you can undergo trials here and earn the acknowledgment of the Earth Pillar's power."
"The Earth Pillar's power?"
Seeing Gu Qingshan's confusion, the giant explained, "Simply put, lifeforms cannot leave the world constructed by the Four Saint Pillars."
"I know that. The Four Saint Pillars are earth, water, fire, and wind. They represent the makeup of all things in the world," Gu Qingshan said.
"Exactly. To lifeforms, the Earth Pillar represents the body."
The giant let out a long sigh, then continued in a slow voice:
"Lifeforms always think they're masters of all things. But in truth, they're ruled by their own bodies, controlled by time, confined by space, and bound by the laws that govern all things."
"I can't agree that we're ruled by our bodies," Gu Qingshan said.
The giant smiled. "That's because you're a cultivator. The desires manifested by your body cannot dominate your will. That's why you were able to reach me and undergo the trial of the Earth's source power."
Gu Qingshan began to