Traveling Through Time and Space

"Young friend, what year and month is it on your side?"

Red Cloud sat cross-legged in Azure Parasol Hall. Those words echoed in his heart, jolting him awake.

"Was that Azure Parasol Ancestor?"

Red Cloud murmured to himself, deeply shaken. Across endless time and space, he had actually been able to speak with him.

At that moment, Red Cloud could not help but ask himself: Had Azure Parasol Ancestor truly fallen?

"Hehe, young friend, I am Cangwu."

Another voice rang out in the hall.

The instant the voice sounded, Red Cloud's expression froze as he looked toward its source.

At the entrance to the hall stood a thin figure, identical to the one Red Cloud had seen in that vision from countless ages ago.

"Senior, are you truly Azure Parasol Ancestor?"

Red Cloud instantly rose to his feet, watching Azure Parasol Ancestor warily as he asked with utmost caution.

Azure Parasol Ancestor turned to Red Cloud with a smile. "I am him, and yet I am not him."

"I am a projection Azure Parasol Ancestor sent into this era, following your coordinates in time and space."

Red Cloud asked in shock, "Senior, can one truly travel through time and space, into the past and future?"

Azure Parasol Ancestor nodded, then shook his head. Smiling, he said, "Yes, and no."

"A Great Luo Golden Immortal can transcend time, space, fate, reverse karmic reincarnation, and become deathless, eternal, and indestructible."

"To a Hunyuan Golden Immortal, time and space are even toys in the palm of the hand. The past and future are merely flowers reflected in water and moons mirrored in glass. One may go as one pleases and leave as one wishes."

"But time and space possess their own weight, and the Heavenly Dao has its own cycles. The true body cannot go there in person."

After hearing Azure Parasol Ancestor's explanation, Red Cloud examined him closely but could not tell that he was merely a projection.

However, Red Cloud also sensed something unusual. Though Azure Parasol Ancestor felt dangerous, he seemed to be no more than at the Peak Primordial Unity Golden Immortal level.

Red Cloud's eyes shifted as he guessed, "Senior, projections sent into the past or future should have a limit on their cultivation, right? Peak Primordial Unity Golden Immortal?"

Azure Parasol Ancestor looked at Red Cloud, a trace of approval flashing through his eyes. He nodded with a smile. "Correct. A projection indeed has a limit on its cultivation. This body of mine possesses only the cultivation of a Peak Primordial Unity Golden Immortal, the utmost limit permitted by the Heavenly Dao."

Red Cloud inwardly sighed in relief. He had known it—those great powers of the past could not casually travel to the future. Even a projection was strictly restricted.

Was a Peak Primordial Unity Golden Immortal strong? To most living beings, a Taiyi Golden Immortal was already beyond reach.

But to Great Luo Golden Immortals, Hunyuan Golden Immortals, and even Primordial Zenith Heaven Golden Immortals, a Taiyi Golden Immortal was nothing more than a stray dog by the roadside, with virtually no effect on the greater situation.

Red Cloud took a deep breath and asked, "May I ask what business brings you to the future to seek out this junior, Senior?"

Azure Parasol Ancestor said, "To make a deal with you."

"What deal?" Red Cloud frowned.

"A deal concerning life and death."

After a pause, Azure Parasol Ancestor smiled. "Fight me in a death match. If you kill me, the inheritance I left behind and the power of this projection will both be yours."

"If I kill you, your body and soul will become my capital for reincarnating in this era."

"You want to resurrect in the future?"

Red Cloud's spirits jolted as he asked in disbelief. Did he think resurrection was something he could simply accomplish whenever he wished?

Azure Parasol Ancestor nodded. "Correct. The past has already been set, and it is far too dull for me. The future, however, is ever-changing and holds more possibilities."

"You can resurrect just by taking everything from me? It cannot be that simple. Otherwise, those great powers who died long ago would already be thriving in this era."

"Hahaha, young friend, you truly are clever."

Azure Parasol Ancestor replied with a laugh, "Correct. Resurrection is indeed not simple. Even if I obtain everything from you and reincarnate, I must still survive Heavenly Punishment to succeed."

"Countless great powers who fell in the past have attempted resurrection, but all of them fell at the second step."

Red Cloud suddenly understood. Of course—if one could resurrect and reincarnate at will, would the Heavenly Dao not be thrown into chaos?

Azure Parasol Ancestor smiled. "So, young friend, will you make this deal with me?"

Red Cloud gave a bitter smile and asked, "Senior, do I even have the right to refuse?"

Azure Parasol Ancestor shook his head. "No."

Red Cloud looked at Azure Parasol Ancestor, drew a deep breath, and said solemnly, "I accept the deal."

As soon as those words fell, the atmosphere in the hall grew tense.

The smile also vanished from Azure Parasol Ancestor's face.

"Then, the battle begins."

Azure Parasol Ancestor said in a grave voice. His gaze was sharp and imposing, his white hair fluttering loose, and his Daoist robe billowed despite the absence of wind.

Then Azure Parasol Ancestor made a grasping motion with his right hand, and a sword appeared in his grasp. With a casual motion, he spun it into a flower of sword light.

Azure Parasol Ancestor looked at Red Cloud, a glint of coldness flashing through his eyes. He shouted, "Young friend, be careful."

The moment his words fell, Azure Parasol Ancestor raised his hand. The sword light was fierce, crimson and dazzling, dancing through the sky like an enraged dragon.

Seeing this, Red Cloud's expression remained unchanged. He formed a hand seal, condensing an enormous palm imprint.

Red Cloud sent it crashing down upon Azure Parasol Ancestor.

The palm imprint collided with the sword light in midair.

A thunderous boom rang out. Red Cloud's palm imprint vanished, and so did Azure Parasol Ancestor's sword light.

After witnessing Red Cloud's method, Azure Parasol Ancestor's gaze turned cold. He formed a spell seal, and the Azure Parasol Sword shone brilliantly, transforming into a colossal divine sword that stretched across the sky.

Then one sword became two, two became four, four became eight, eight became sixteen...

In the blink of an eye, billions of divine swords appeared above the Nine Heavens, every one of them pointed at Red Cloud.

The sword intent was razor-sharp and unstoppable, surging into the heavens. Billions of divine swords formed a sword formation and charged at Red Cloud together, determined to mince him into pulp.

Facing this Myriad Swords Return to the Sect-like technique from the novels, Red Cloud remained calm and pointed at the sword formation from afar.

"Four Symbols Heaven-Sealing Finger!"

The next instant, heaven and earth fell silent. Boundless divine light bloomed, endless mana manifested, and the void trembled and twisted as a finger like a heavenly pillar thrust forth.

At its fingertip, an entire world was actually evolving.

A blazing radiance burst forth as the Four Symbols cried out together, illuminating the surroundings until they resembled a divine kingdom or paradise.

The Four Symbols Heaven-Sealing Finger collided with the billions of divine swords. The vault of heaven shattered, the netherworld sank, and the billions of divine swords crumbled away, leaving only the golden Azure Parasol Sword in the sky.

"Hmph, take another move from me!"

"One Sword Opens Heaven!"

Azure Parasol Ancestor held the Azure Parasol Sword and formed a spell seal. Sword qi opened the primordial chaos, creating heaven and earth; all heaven and earth became swords.

Sword grass, sword trees, sword mountains, sword lakes... a world composed entirely of swords slashed toward Red Cloud.

The sword intent was chilling, the sword qi awe-inspiring, the sword net sealed the heavens, and the sword's might was magnificent. Sword qi filled the entire world.

Seeing this, Red Cloud was amazed by Azure Parasol Ancestor's methods. As expected of a renowned great power of the past.

"Literary Dao divine ability, War on Paper!"

Red Cloud formed a hand seal, and the phantom of the Illustrated Record of Literary Fortune appeared behind him. Characters hung in the sky like a galaxy, countless glyphs faintly emitting nine-colored radiance.

Then Red Cloud pointed one hand at heaven and the other at earth, and countless glyphs evolved in the void.

The next instant, a city appeared around Red Cloud. Countless palaces stood in wondrous array, divine halls shone with gleaming jade pillars, and upon the pillars were strange beasts in a hundred poses, with all beasts bearing auspicious omens.