Space-Time Millstone

The Seventh Layer of Heavenly Bridge was in the boundless starry sky.

The bridge stretched directly into the stars. At the end of the Seventh Layer of Heavenly Bridge, a small meteorite several kilometers in diameter floated in the air. Feng Hui, dressed in black battle clothes, stood on the bridge, looking at the meteorite ahead.

"Warrior!" Feng Hui called.

"Snap."

A chunk of stone broke off the meteorite's edge and fell onto the bridge. As it rolled along the surface, it transformed into a warrior dressed in blue battle clothes.

"Young man at the Cosmic Level, congratulations on making it this far. I hope you can pass my test." The Blue-clad Man's voice sounded rather old.

Feng Hui's expression was grave. He had little confidence in passing the Seventh Layer.

"The first through third layers of Heavenly Bridge correspond to the first diagram of the Cosmic Chaos Stele; the fourth through sixth layers correspond to the Second Diagram; and the seventh through ninth layers correspond to the third diagram."

Feng Hui frowned. "That's only a general correspondence. I've comprehended the first thirty-six essences of the Laws of Time and Space. I should be at least ten times stronger than someone who has only comprehended the Second Diagram normally."

"But the third diagram is far more profound than the Second Diagram, and its power is much greater, too."

Feng Hui had yet to begin comprehending the third diagram. He wasn't sure whether he could reach the Seventh Layer's level.

"Boom!"

The Blue-clad Man stomped hard on the bridge and charged straight at Feng Hui like a mountain.

The two figures were like bolts of lightning, meeting in an instant. Their War Blades carved two dazzling streaks through the air, as if they would tear apart the endless fabric of space and time.

"Clang!"

The two War Blades collided fiercely in midair, unleashing a deafening boom. The clash rang out like metal striking stone, echoing across heaven and earth.

In that moment, time seemed to freeze, and space trembled with it.

As the clash continued, the surrounding space and time seemed to lose their usual stability, growing distorted and blurred.

"It's no use. You can't defeat me yet. Go back and train some more. You're about as strong as I am. After three more years of training, you might be able to suppress me. You'll need ten more years before you can defeat me."

The Blue-clad Man spoke as they fought fiercely.

"Hmph. Not necessarily." Feng Hui stared coldly at the Blue-clad Man and unleashed his strongest move available.

"Space-Time Millstone!"

Space was the extension of matter's existence and movement, while time embodied the continuity and sequence of change and development. Both higher Origin Laws contained countless mysteries.

For example, the Law of Space could be divided into three major categories: instantaneous movement, Space Annihilation, and Space Lockdown. Each category could be further divided into many smaller branches. Comprehending any one of those branches earned the acknowledgment of the Law of Space. But reaching the ultimate level in even one of the three major categories was extraordinarily difficult.

Those who mastered instantaneous movement, Strangulation, or Space Lockdown to perfection were generally at the peak of the King-level Immortal tier.

Feng Hui couldn't do that yet, of course. But by combining his comprehension of certain minor branches of the Laws of Time and Space, he could perform a secret technique containing a few mysteries of their combination.

There were many such techniques in the Principles of Space-Time.

The Space-Time Millstone he had just unleashed was a secret technique formed by combining a few mysteries of Space Annihilation and Time Deceleration.

His blade light poured out like a torrential storm, every slash embodying a profound understanding and application of the Laws of Time and Space.

The crisscrossing blade light was so fast it left onlookers speechless. It also carved deadly trajectories through space, as if countless sharp blades were cutting through space and time all at once.

The blade light intertwined, forming a huge, ever-spinning millstone that trapped the Blue-clad Man inside.

Under the pressure of the Space-Time Millstone, the flow of time around the Blue-clad Man twisted strangely. His figure grew sluggish and clumsy, his movements increasingly difficult, and his speed was drastically reduced.

He tried to struggle free, but every effort was like an ant trying to topple a tree, only sinking him deeper.

At last, under the combined Strangulation of countless blades, the Blue-clad Man's figure gradually blurred and vanished. He had lost utterly, with no way to fight back.

The Seventh Layer, passed!

At the request of the Immortal Experts, Guardian Bafen had already begun livestreaming Feng Hui's attempt to cross the Seventh Layer of Heavenly Bridge.

Watching Feng Hui defeat his opponent on the livestream with that move, the Sect Masters of the various Cosmos Schools stared in disbelief.

The other Immortal Experts might not understand, but the Sect Masters of the Cosmos Schools knew all too well how difficult it was.

Crossing Heavenly Bridge wasn't simply a matter of having sufficient Law Comprehension. The same level of comprehension could yield different levels of strength.

Strength wasn't determined by Law Comprehension alone. It also depended on one's secret techniques, battle awareness, execution, and more.

Only when all these factors came together was the winner decided.

The Principles of Space-Time associated with the Cosmic Chaos Stele did indeed contain a secret technique like the Space-Time Millstone, based on the first two diagrams.

In theory, anyone who fully comprehended the first two diagrams and the first thirty-six mysteries of the essences of the Laws of Time and Space could perform this secret technique.

But that was only in theory. It was the limit that the Chaos City Lord, creator of the Chaos Tablet, had deduced for the first two diagrams from a lofty level of understanding. It didn't mean anyone could actually reach it.

In practice, cultivators usually had to comprehend the 108 most basic mysteries of the Laws of Time and Space before they could combine them and perform the Space-Time Millstone.

Feng Hui could actually do it. What did that mean?

It meant his foundation in the Way of Time and Space was as solid as it could possibly be. He had drawn almost the greatest possible insight from the first two diagrams of the Cosmic Chaos Stele, without taking a single detour, and had gone straight to the essence.

What they didn't know was that Feng Hui had followed the Way of Time and Space under the guidance of the Cosmic Emperor's Space-Time Inheritance. In terms of mastery of the Way of Time and Space, even the Chaos City Lord, creator of the Cosmic Chaos Stele, was far inferior to the Cosmic Emperor, the top-tier tenth-level True God who had once stood undefeated in the Cosmic Sea.

Feng Hui was naturally following the true supreme path. No wonder the Sect Masters of the various Cosmos Schools were so shocked.

At the end of the Eighth Layer of Heavenly Bridge,

Feng Hui watched the meteorite floating ahead and waited for his opponent to appear.

Although Heavenly Bridge set a challenge every three layers, the farther one went, the harder it became. The jump from the Seventh Layer to the Eighth might not be as large as the jump from the Sixth to the Seventh, but it was definitely much harder than the jump from the Fifth to the Sixth.

But since he was here, he might as well give it a try.

"A Cosmic Level cultivator who can attempt the Eighth Layer is impressive. Among the Virtual Universe Company's Cosmic Level members, only one has ever successfully crossed the Eighth Layer." The Blue-clad Man held a War Blade, his eyes smiling beneath his mask. "Come at me."

Not good. Feng Hui's expression changed.

The Blue-clad Man moved, instantly rousing the two higher Origin Laws of time and space. The heavens and earth changed color, and in an instant, a vast Space-Time Vortex formed around them.

Feng Hui felt as if he had fallen into a swamp, struggling to move.

"Whoosh!"

The Blue-clad Man turned into a streak of light and charged at Feng Hui, War Blade in hand.

"Shhk!"

The gap between them was too great. Feng Hui managed to parry a few strikes, but at last he could no longer withstand the mysterious blade light. It pierced straight through his head.

Defeated and killed in battle, he had failed to cross the Eighth Layer of Heavenly Bridge!