"Splash!"
Water sprayed, and white waves surged toward the sky. The river of time seemed endless; no matter how far they went, its end remained out of sight.
With each step the Green Ox took, he crossed a short stretch of the river. Spray rose around him, revealing fleeting images within the water. Look closely, and you could see armies on the march, sages discussing the Dao, beauties like jade and swords like rainbows. There were countless living souls, too, raising and lowering their heads beneath heaven and earth as they survived, multiplied, toiled, rejoiced, and grieved in the vast world—until, at last, they died without a sound, became one with the earth, and vanished utterly, leaving not the slightest trace.
Time truly possessed boundless power. For anyone who could not attain immortality, whether an emperor, a great sage, a mighty figure, or a wealthy merchant, no matter how exalted their station, when their allotted years ran out, they ended no differently from the countless common people. Dust returned to dust, earth to earth.
Seated on the ox's back, Huang Tian looked down upon the multitudes caught in every color and form within the long river. His mind grew ever clearer.
"Moo~"
The Green Ox called out and pressed on faster, struggling upstream through the roaring water.
A long time seemed to pass, or perhaps only an instant. The man and the ox reached a narrow stretch, and the farther they went, the narrower the river became.
"At last—"
With that soft sigh, the Green Ox carried Huang Tian to the very source of the river of time. Then he took one more step forward.
Whoosh~
The scene before them changed. The river was gone. Only black remained, a darkness so profound it had neither sky nor earth, light nor