A Plain Skirt!

Outside the hall.

Ye Tianming sat cross-legged on the ground, studying his cultivation method.

A filter.

How could he make such a filter?

He was at a loss. He had seen almost no other cultivation methods, so even creating one meant relying entirely on his imagination.

Imagination!

Ye Tianming's eyes lit up. Why didn't he imagine a filter into existence?

He acted on the thought at once.

Ye Tianming suddenly said, "Tower Ancestor, why didn't you remind me about the filter for my cultivation method?"

Little Pagoda fell silent.

What the hell did Little Pagoda know about filters? Little Pagoda had always played in high-end matches, so how could Little Pagoda know about something from a low-end match like this?

Of course, Little Pagoda couldn't tell the little fellow that.

Little Pagoda said with a laugh, "I did it for your own good."

Ye Tianming was puzzled.

Little Pagoda continued, "There are setbacks and difficulties you have to experience for yourself. Only then can you grow and gain something, understand?"

Ye Tianming said, "..."

Without asking anything else, Ye Tianming focused on studying his cultivation method.

After a long while, he suddenly realized that he needed to know what the impurities in Spiritual Qi were. Otherwise, he couldn't truly filter them out. So, as he absorbed Spiritual Qi, he began carefully distinguishing it from the impurities. Through close observation and sensation, he soon discovered the impurities hidden within the Spiritual Qi.

They were a harmful substance clinging to the Spiritual Qi, rather like dust on rice. They were almost impossible to see with the naked eye, but if he absorbed too much of them, they would accumulate in his body and, over time, harm it.

Now that he had found the impurities, he needed to figure out how to filter them out.

Soon, Ye Tianming came up with a method: he would use his body to make a filter, since Spiritual Qi had to pass through his body to enter it.

He began experimenting slowly, using his body to sense the impurities, then using his cultivation method to cover his body with a layer of Spiritual Qi netting...

It naturally wasn't so easy at first, but he tried again and again.

He wasn't afraid of failure!

And so, he cultivated from night until daylight.

In the morning, Mu Guanchen walked over to him and handed him a bowl of porridge. Smiling, he said, "Have some breakfast first."

Ye Tianming hurried to his feet and accepted the porridge with both hands. "Thank you, Teacher."

Mu Guanchen patted him on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Sit down and eat."

With that, he sat down as well.

Ye Tianming also sat down. Mu Guanchen asked, "Make any progress?"

"Quite a bit, actually," Ye Tianming said excitedly.

Mu Guanchen smiled. "Good. Since you're my student now, I have to take responsibility for you. From now on, you're not allowed to cultivate in the mornings."

Ye Tianming was puzzled.

Mu Guanchen said, "You must spend every morning reading. You can cultivate from noon until night, but you must also get a full four hours of sleep."

Ye Tianming hesitated, then said, "Teacher, I don't need to sleep."

Mu Guanchen shook his head. "I know you want to work hard to improve your strength, but more haste, less speed. You're so eager to grow stronger that your state of mind is too impatient. Sooner or later, it'll cause problems. From now on, I'll read with you every morning. Reading calms the heart, and when the heart is calm, the mind naturally clears. That will also be of great benefit to your cultivation."

Ye Tianming thought for a moment, then nodded. "All right... Teacher, may I read the books in your hall?"

"Of course," Mu Guanchen said with a smile.

"All right," Ye Tianming said.

In the days that followed, Ye Tianming read with Mu Guanchen every morning and cultivated from noon until night.

After three days of trying, his cultivation method could filter out some of the impurities in Spiritual Qi. He also found that the filtered Spiritual Qi became purer once it entered his body. In less than five days, he rose from the Minor Tribulation Realm to the Major Tribulation Realm, filling him with joy. But when he continued filtering Spiritual Qi, he discovered that he couldn't filter out all its impurities.

He had reached a bottleneck.

When he asked Mu Guanchen for advice, Mu Guanchen smiled and told him, "There are indeed cultivation methods in this world that can filter out one hundred percent of all impurities, but those methods are at least top-tier. You've only just created yours, and it can already filter out sixty percent of the impurities. That's already remarkable."

Hearing this, Ye Tianming finally understood.

Mu Guanchen continued, "On the path of cultivation, nothing is more important than not rushing. The moment you rush, your state of mind falls into disorder. Of course, I understand your circumstances, but you still have to suppress the restlessness and anxiety in your heart. Those negative emotions won't help you in the least."

Ye Tianming nodded slightly. "Teacher, I understand that, but the Myriad Provinces Grand Competition is less than half a year away. I don't have that much time."

Mu Guanchen asked, "You want to take first place?"

Ye Tianming nodded. "Yes. I want to meet the Guanxuan Sword Master... Teacher, how unfair this world is."

Mu Guanchen nodded. "You have every right to say that, and you should say it. None of this is your fault. But do you know the fundamental cause and essence of this unfairness?"

"I'm not strong enough," Ye Tianming said.

Mu Guanchen said, "Let's take a walk."

With that, he walked into the distance.

Ye Tianming followed him.

Along the way, Mu Guanchen said, "Your lack of strength is only part of the essence. It's not the most fundamental part."

Ye Tianming continued, "The Yang Family."

Mu Guanchen turned to look at him and smiled. "The Yang Family is the source of power in the Guanxuan Universe, so there's nothing wrong with saying that. But it still isn't the fundamental essence."

Ye Tianming frowned. "The system?"

"Still no," Mu Guanchen said.

"Please enlighten me, Teacher," Ye Tianming said.

Mu Guanchen smiled. "The Dao."

Ye Tianming was puzzled.

Mu Guanchen continued, "Simply put, unfairness is bound to exist in any cosmic civilization. If the Yang Family were replaced and someone else ruled the Guanxuan Universe, would there be no unfairness?"

Ye Tianming frowned.

Mu Guanchen said slowly, "You must understand one fundamental truth: unfairness is bound to exist. Even millions of years from now, it will still exist, because this world has been steeped in unfairness from the very beginning. Take birth, for example. Some people are born into the families of kings, marquises, generals, and ministers, while others are born beggars. Some are born extraordinarily gifted, while others have no talent at all, or even intellectual disabilities. Some are born in advanced civilizations, while others are born in worlds ravaged by endless war..."

He turned to look at Ye Tianming. "Can anyone completely eliminate these forms of unfairness?"

Ye Tianming remained silent.

Mu Guanchen continued, "They can't be eliminated. No one could eliminate them, whoever took charge. Do you know why the higher-ups haven't taken your case seriously?"

Ye Tianming said, "I have no value, and the Xiao Family and Qingzhou Academy are too powerful..."

He paused, then added, "There should be another reason. To some of the important people above, what happened to me is just a small matter. They think the way you just described, Teacher. They think unfairness is perfectly normal, nothing to make a fuss over. They weigh the advantages and disadvantages..."

A flicker of approval flashed in Mu Guanchen's eyes. "Yes. You have to be able to see this level of it: to those people high above, your suffering, Ye Tianming, is something very, very insignificant. In their world, whether it's suffering or unfairness, it's all supposed to exist. You, Ye Tianming, were simply unlucky enough to encounter it. It's like when we accidentally step on an ant and kill it while walking. Do we reflect on our own fault? No. We just think the ant was unlucky."

Ye Tianming clenched his fists and said nothing.

Mu Guanchen said, "No one can completely eradicate unfairness. Not even the Guanxuan Sword Master can do it. All one can do is strive to reduce it. Now that you understand this fundamental truth, let's talk about your situation."

Ye Tianming looked at Mu Guanchen, who asked, "Do you think you were wrong?"

Ye Tianming answered decisively, "No."

"Of course you weren't," Mu Guanchen said. "Every person and every living being in this world has the right to seek fairness. After suffering such unfairness, whatever thoughts you have are justified. There's nothing wrong with that. No one has the right to urge you to let go of your hatred. You should hate, and you should resist, because none of this is your fault."

Ye Tianming was moved. "Teacher..."

Mu Guanchen continued, "Likewise, if the Yang Family believes you suffered injustice and should resist, and this makes them realize they were wrong, then our Guanxuan Universe can still be saved. But if the Yang Family cannot understand the suffering and injustice endured by those at the bottom, then..."

He stopped and said seriously, "Then we dare command the sun and moon to bring forth a new sky."

Little Pagoda said, "..."

Ye Tianming was stunned as well. "Teacher..."

Mu Guanchen smiled. "If the world is just and peaceful, we can naturally refrain from acting. But if the world is unjust and the future holds no hope, then naturally we must..."

At this point, he suddenly stopped.

Ye Tianming looked at him, hands clenched, waiting for him to continue.

Mu Guanchen stared at him. "Rebel."

Ye Tianming said, "..."

Little Pagoda said, "..."

Mu Guanchen blinked. "Are you afraid?"

"No!" Ye Tianming said seriously.

Mu Guanchen laughed heartily, then said, "You need strength to rebel, so we must first improve ours. Let's talk about your cultivation method. It's special, and I think you can condense a Dharma Aspect ahead of time."

Ye Tianming was somewhat puzzled. "A Dharma Aspect?"

Mu Guanchen nodded. "It comes from the Dharma Aspect Realm. In that realm, you commune with the Qi of heaven and earth and combine it with your Primordial Spirit to form a hundred-zhang Dharma Aspect. It can gather or disperse at will and is immensely powerful, capable of clashing head-on with any spirit weapon, or even an immortal weapon. Your cultivation method is special, so you can condense a Dharma Aspect early. Here, I'll teach you a method. Give it a try..."

Ten breaths later, Ye Tianming suddenly stood and made a summoning gesture with both hands. "Condense!"

Boom!

In an instant, a hundred-zhang Dharma Aspect suddenly condensed behind him.

Little Pagoda said, "..."

Mu Guanchen was also somewhat surprised. Clearly, he hadn't expected Ye Tianming to succeed on his first attempt. He smiled. "Not bad, not bad. You succeeded in one try, just a little slower than I did back then."

Little Pagoda said, "???"

Ye Tianming said excitedly, "Teacher, so you can commune with heaven and earth to condense a Dharma Aspect. Isn't a Dharma Aspect basically borrowing strength?"

"Borrowing strength?"

Mu Guanchen nodded and smiled. "That's a very apt expression. Condensing a Dharma Aspect is indeed like borrowing the strength of heaven and earth. The further you cultivate, the more you'll need to 'borrow,' even borrowing the Dao itself."

Ye Tianming thought for a moment, then said, "Teacher, I have an idea."

"Let's hear it!" Mu Guanchen said.

Ye Tianming looked at Mu Guanchen. "Since I can borrow the strength of heaven and earth, can I borrow my own strength?"

Mu Guanchen was puzzled. "Borrow your own strength? You mean..."

"Borrow my future strength!" Ye Tianming said.

Little Pagoda said, "..."

Mu Guanchen was briefly taken aback, then smiled. "You mean borrowing strength from your future self?"

Ye Tianming nodded. "It was just a thought, but it doesn't seem very realistic..."

"It is!"

Mu Guanchen smiled. "Very realistic."

Ye Tianming was puzzled.

Mu Guanchen smiled. "That's essentially the legendary summoning of a Future True Body."

Ye Tianming asked, "Teacher, what is a Future True Body?"

Mu Guanchen said, "It involves certain great Daos, such as the past, present, and future. Once some top cultivators reach a certain level, they can turn back time, travel against the flow of the years, and return to the past. Some cultivators are even more heaven-defying and can summon a Future True Body-that is, summon their future selves into the present. Their future selves are bound to be stronger than they are now..."

Ye Tianming said excitedly, "Has anyone ever succeeded?"

Mu Guanchen smiled. "I don't know about that. Still, I think it's possible. Of course, it must be difficult. By my reckoning, in our universe, perhaps only the Guanxuan Sword Master back then could have done it."

The Guanxuan Sword Master!

Ye Tianming fell silent. That was a godlike figure.

Mu Guanchen suddenly asked, "Do you want to try?"

Ye Tianming looked up at him, astonished. "Teacher, I... can I?"

Mu Guanchen smiled. "Since you've already thought of it, why not try?"

"But I'm so weak..." Ye Tianming said.

Mu Guanchen shook his head. "Tianming, we are scholars. Besides establishing a heart for the universe and bringing peace to countless generations, scholars must also dare to think and dare to act... Wait a moment."

He took out an ancient book and handed it to Ye Tianming. "As luck would have it, I've recently been studying the Dao of Past, Present, and Future. I won this book years ago from the bookseller at the Great Dao Book House. It's called the Book of Time. Study it first."

Ye Tianming said in surprise, "Teacher, you've been to the Great Dao Book House too?"

Mu Guanchen asked in return, "You've been there too?"

Ye Tianming nodded. "I've read there since I was little."

Mu Guanchen smiled. "Then we really do have a connection. That bookseller is an extraordinary man. He seems to be plotting and laying plans for something... But enough about him. Read this Book of Time first. If you have any ideas afterward, come find me. Don't be afraid to fail. If we fail, we'll start over."

Ye Tianming nodded. "All right!"

In the days that followed, aside from cultivating, Ye Tianming devoted himself to studying the Book of Time. Only after reading it did he realize how shallow his understanding of this world's path of cultivation was. Once a person cultivated to a certain level, they could not only return to the past but also commune with the future...

It was far too heaven-defying.

Ten days passed in the blink of an eye.

That day, Ye Tianming went to find Mu Guanchen.

Mu Guanchen, who had been reading, put down his ancient book and smiled. "Have an idea?"

Ye Tianming nodded. "Teacher, there's a method in the Book of Time called the Future Method. Using it, I can sense the future... I want to try it."

Mu Guanchen said, "It's a good thing you came to ask me. If you'd tried it rashly, you might already have died and your Dao vanished."

Ye Tianming was confused. "Why?"

Mu Guanchen smiled. "Rules. The Guanxuan Sword Master established all kinds of rules back then, and one of them was that no one may disrupt the timelines of the past and future without permission. The Guanxuan Sword Master's words are law, so the future timelines of all living beings in the Guanxuan Universe are guarded by laws. If you tried rashly, those laws would strike you dead on the spot."

"What should I do, then?" Ye Tianming asked.

Mu Guanchen suddenly looked at the Sword of Upholding the Dao at Ye Tianming's waist. "Your sword is rather special. It might be able to evade detection by those laws."

Ye Tianming looked down at his Sword of Upholding the Dao.

Mu Guanchen smiled. "Of course, I can't be completely certain either, but... shall we try?"

Ye Tianming thought for a moment, then nodded. "Let's try."

Mu Guanchen said, "In a moment, recite the Future Method to enter your own future timeline. Remember, don't go barging into anyone else's timeline. Entering someone else's timeline means interfering with their karma, which is very, very dangerous. It's also easy for the Heavenly Dao of the Guanxuan Universe to discover you. Just sense things within your own future timeline, understand?"

Ye Tianming nodded. "All right... Teacher, can I meet my future self?"

Mu Guanchen smiled. "You should be able to. If you can meet your future self, you can summon a Future True Body later. Of course, that's assuming your future self is an expert. If he's a good-for-nothing, summoning him would just be feeding the enemy a kill! Besides, you wouldn't be able to summon him. Only if your future self is strong enough can he travel against the flow of future years and return to the present..."

He smiled. "So everything in the world has cause and effect. If you work hard now, you'll be formidable in the future. If you lie flat now, you'll most likely be a good-for-nothing in the future, and you won't be any help to your present self."

Ye Tianming smiled. "I work very hard, so I probably won't be a good-for-nothing in the future. Teacher, how strong do you think I'd have to be in the future to return to the present?"

"At least on the Guanxuan Sword Master's level, I'd say," Mu Guanchen said.

Ye Tianming smiled bitterly. "Then I might not be that strong in the future. Still, I want to try..."

Mu Guanchen smiled. "Try it first. I'll go dig up some vegetables and cook. Remember, you might not succeed on the first try. If you fail, don't be discouraged. Try a few more times later. There's no hurry anyway, so treat it as a bit of fun. Also, you can only see yourself in your own future timeline. Once you see yourself, try not to have too much interaction, so you don't create unknown karma..."

With that, he set down the ancient book and walked outside.

After Mu Guanchen left, Ye Tianming sat cross-legged on the ground. He took down the Sword of Upholding the Dao, then drew a deep breath.

Little Pagoda suddenly said, "How about... not trying it?"

"Why?" Ye Tianming asked.

Little Pagoda said, "Didn't he say it was dangerous?"

Ye Tianming smiled. "It's fine. I'm just going to try it. I won't really pin my hopes on the future. Like Teacher said, my future self would have to be as strong as the Guanxuan Sword Master to possibly return to the present. I don't think I'll be stronger than the Guanxuan Sword Master in the future. I just want to try and see if I can meet my future self..."

Little Pagoda hesitated, then said, "Let's try it, then!"

Ye Tianming nodded. He slowly closed his eyes and began circulating the Future Method. Soon, he found that everything between heaven and earth had changed. He had entered a special passage, an extremely unusual one. Walls of time surrounded him, and strange waves of light raced across them.

Clutching the Sword of Upholding the Dao, Ye Tianming looked around nervously. "Tower Ancestor?"

There was no response!

He had now entered his own future timeline!

Receiving no response from Tower Ancestor, Ye Tianming could only proceed cautiously. Each step he took seemed to carry him across hundreds of millions of years...

The way ahead was completely empty. There was nothing there.

Along the way, a mysterious power of laws reached out to probe him, but the moment it touched the Sword of Upholding the Dao, it vanished without a trace.

Ye Tianming took another step...

Just like that, he walked an unknown number of steps, crossing who knew how many trillions of years. Suddenly, he stopped. At the far end of his vision, he could just make out a blurry figure.

Looking at the blurry figure, he was immediately struck by an extremely, extremely familiar feeling.

Ye Tianming's breathing quickened. He felt that the blurry figure was his future self, and the feeling was very strong. He hurried forward a few more steps, and the blurry figure grew clearer and clearer...

Suddenly, Ye Tianming froze. At the far end of his vision, the blurry figure stopped and turned around. In that very instant, the figure became perfectly clear.

It was a woman dressed in a plain skirt, her grace and beauty unparalleled.

The woman in the plain skirt was staring at him!

"Ah!"

Back in reality, Ye Tianming jolted awake. Terrified, he cried, "Tower Ancestor, Tower Ancestor, why am I a woman in the future... ah!! Ah!! How am I a woman in the future!!"

"Fuck!"

Little Pagoda also cried in terror, "Damn it! You actually succeeded... fuck! I don't know anything, I don't know anything. Don't ask me, I didn't say anything this time... I-I-I'm just a pagoda!"

"Tower Ancestor..." Ye Tianming said in a trembling voice.

Little Pagoda's voice trembled too. "Big Brother, just call me Little Pagoda from now on..."

For an illusory woman had appeared above Ye Tianming's head. It was the woman in the plain skirt...

The Future True Body appeared!

Tianming replaced Tianming!

Just then, waves of terrifying pressure swept down from the sky, bearing down on Ye Tianming. At the same time, a voice filled with boundless pressure seemed to come from across the ages. "You dare throw the Guanxuan Universe's timeline into chaos? Die!"

The Heavenly Dao of the Guanxuan Universe appeared!

Ye Tianming instinctively turned and glanced over. "Scram!"

Boom!

Deep in the distant universe, the Heavenly Dao of the Guanxuan Universe shattered with a crash and dropped dead on the spot.

The Heavenly Dao collapsed!

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