After resolving the matter of the Lifeless Old Mother, Li Qingshan did not linger. With a swift movement, he appeared beside an island in the Nanyang Sea.
He stood suspended in mid-air, with surging, dark blue waves beneath his feet and a vast, boundless starry sky above. In this desolate world, he began to comprehend the most core meaning of "future" in the " Future Lifeless Sutra ".
At the same time, his divine sense seemed to subtly envelop the sea area, as if he were quietly waiting for a visitor destined to appear.
Three days passed quietly in quiet contemplation.
Late on the fourth night, the moonlight, like a ribbon, poured over the sea, and a cold, hazy figure appeared without warning in the Void not far away.
It was a woman.
She was enveloped in a hazy, ethereal glow, her aura distant and mysterious, carrying a sense of transcendence yet also a subtle, overlooking mortal realm.
This unique temperament gave Li Qingshan a sense of familiarity, and he seemed to see the successor of Cihang Jingzhai from the novels of his previous life, who was a person who chose a master on behalf of Heaven and walked in the mortal world but whose heart was beyond the world.
The same detached attitude, the same worldly heart, and the same fondness for the taste of "choosing" for humanity.
The flavor was so distinct, it almost perfectly matched the image from the novel in my previous life.
The moment the woman's figure solidified, her gaze, like two pools of cool moonlight, fell precisely on Li Qingshan.
His gaze held scrutiny, and even a hint of barely concealed surprise.
She clearly hadn't expected that someone would appear so "coincidentally" on her route in this remote, uninhabited area of Nanyang, and that they seemed to have been waiting for her for a long time.
Li Qingshan made no attempt to conceal his presence, basking calmly in the moonlight and sea breeze, meeting her probing gaze with an expression as if her arrival was merely a predictable move on a chessboard.
"Even the elegant music of the Scattering Flowers Tower in Jade Capital City couldn't hold back the footsteps of Miss Su Mu, the Holy Maiden of the Tai Shang Dao?" He spoke first, his voice gentle and calm, like a spring breeze caressing the sea, yet each word was clear, carrying an all-knowing understanding. "This outer Nanyang Sea is treacherous with its fierce winds and treacherous waves, its moon cold and its stars lonely, unlike the bustling city with its ten miles of red carpets and boundless prosperity. The fact that Miss Su Mu has set foot here adds a touch of life to this desolate sea."
Upon hearing the name " Su Mu," the woman's gaze suddenly sharpened, and her seemingly Eternal unchanging aura of aloofness and detachment rippled slightly for a moment.
She was confident in her secrecy. Even in the treacherous Jade Capital City, the identity of the Scattering Flowers Tower was shrouded in mystery. Only a few powerful figures who truly held the reins of the empire might vaguely sense her extraordinary nature, but it was absolutely impossible for them to reveal her true name and, more importantly, her origins so directly and confidently: the Tai Shang Dao Holy Maiden of the Supreme Dao!
"Do you recognize me?" Her voice was still clear and melodious, but it carried a chill and wariness that was more pronounced than the night wind at sea, instantly widening the invisible distance between them. "May I ask who you are, and why you are waiting for me here?"
Li Qingshan didn't directly answer her question, but instead smiled faintly, a smile that seemed to reflect the vicissitudes of life and the threads of Cause and Effect. "Young lady, you come from the bustling capital, intending to travel to the depths of the southwest waves, passing through this desolate sea and sky. Are you perhaps searching for a young man Hong Yi?"
These words, like a pebble thrown into a still lake, stirred up even greater ripples in Su Mu's heart.
Her trip was indeed related to Hong Yi, but she was merely passing through and Dao Yi look around. It was on a whim, and no third party knew about it.
The person before her not only saw through her background in a single sentence, but also seemed to know everything about her spur-of-the-moment, deeply hidden intentions?
Her face maintained the near-perfect, icy calm of a successor of the Tai Shang Dao, but deep within her eyes, ripples spread like those on a cold pond disturbed by the wind. "Who exactly are you? Why do you know so much about my affairs?" Her voice grew even colder, and an invisible aura began to circulate around her.
Su Mu's expression remained as cold as frost, but the slight tightening of her slender fingers betrayed that her inner peace was not as calm as it appeared.
This was the first time in her cultivation journey that she had felt so passive, as if everything about her was exposed to the other person's gaze.
"You went to all this trouble to intercept me?" Su Mu asked bluntly, his clear gaze piercing Li Qingshan like an icy spike. "What do you intend to do?"
"I've heard that Su Mu, the Holy Maiden of the Tai Shang Dao, not only deeply inherited the true teachings of the Meng Shenji Master and possesses profound cultivation, but also has the wisdom to see through the ways of the world and manage worldly affairs. Seeing her today, her demeanor is indeed extraordinary." Li Qingshan did not answer, but instead gave a leisurely evaluation, his tone revealing neither praise nor criticism.
Su Mu's eyes narrowed slightly, clearly reassessing the mysterious man before him. "Since you know my identity and are familiar with Hong Yi's affairs, it seems your knowledge far surpasses that of ordinary people. Indeed, I have been paying attention to him. The Crown Prince is furious, and his wrath is imminent; his current situation is extremely precarious."
"Oh?" Li Qingshan raised an eyebrow, a half-smile playing on his lips. " The Tai Shang Dao transcends worldly affairs, practicing the Supreme Forgetfulness. When did you begin to care about the life and death of someone who 'should be completely unrelated'? That's rather unexpected."
" Supreme Forgetfulness is not about being heartless or indifferent to the common people." Su Mu's tone was calm, yet firm in its conviction. "My philosophy emphasizes following one's heart; when a thought arises, I act; when the thought fades, I stop. I came to see, simply because I wanted to see, nothing more. As for whether to save or not, when to act, and how to act, it is all up to me, unrelated to grudges or entanglements, and I need not explain my reasons to anyone."
"What a fine 'do as you please,' acting on every whim." Li Qingshan nodded slightly, his gaze seemingly piercing through that cold exterior. "So, what are your thoughts on his mother, Meng Bingyun, the former Holy Maiden of your esteemed sect? I've heard that back then, it was because of her emotional entanglement that she, in a moment of weakness, revealed a heavenly secret, causing your sect's Master Meng Shenji's millennium-long plan to be thwarted and her physical body destroyed. In your sect's view, this must be an unforgivable act of betrayal, right?"
Su Mu's face remained as smooth as ice and jade, showing no emotion whatsoever. " Meng Bingyun's past actions were her own choice; she navigated her own emotional turmoil and bore the consequences herself. She deviated from the sect's fundamental principle of Supreme Forgetfulness and disrupted the sect leader's plans—this is undeniable. The sect did not pursue any further punishment after her death, out of consideration for our past camaraderie. The rights and wrongs involved have their own Cause and Effect; outsiders need not comment, and the sect will not reconsider this matter."
If the person before her hadn't possessed an aura as profound as the sea, unfathomable, why would she, as the Holy Maiden of the Tai Shang Dao, waste her breath here?
"Your Excellency has deliberately blocked my way here, surely not just to discuss Hong Yi or comment on the old affairs of my Tai Shang Dao?" Su Mu stopped beating around the bush, his cold gaze fixed on Li Qingshan, trying to catch a clue from his calm and expressionless face.
A night breeze blew by, carrying the salty and slightly fishy smell unique to the deep sea, fluttering the hems of their clothes.
Li Qingshan met Su Mu's gaze, which seemed to see right through him.
"Why the rush, young lady? Since we are destined to meet under this moonlit sky and sea, why not rest for a while?"
As he finished speaking, Li Qingshan's body seemed to undergo a mysterious change.
He was clearly standing there, yet he gave the illusion of existing outside of Void, within a concept.
However, the next moment, his presence became crystal clear, undeniably and irrefutably established.
He stood before Su Mu.
These subtle changes in words and actions finally caused Su Mu, the Holy Maiden of the Tai Shang Dao, to change her expression slightly.
She sensed that the distance between the seemingly casually standing man and her had become extremely "subtle." It wasn't just a physical closeness, but also a spiritual one, as if the other's thoughts could disregard the distance and unleash a devastating attack.
This latent, omnipresent sense of threat stirred her Daoist heart, raising a level of vigilance she hadn't felt in a long time.
"The essence of the Tai Shang Dao is to act freely, to follow one's heart's desires, to be unburdened by material possessions, unfettered by emotions, and indifferent to the opinions of the world. Such carefree freedom is truly enviable." Li Qingshan's voice remained calm, yet carried an undeniable air of authority. "Today, I, Li, also wish to act freely. Miss Su Mu, please make your move. Let me witness the true splendor of the Tai Shang Dao Dao's unparalleled Feng Cai, which shakes the world."
As he spoke, he had already taken a step forward.
The pace was slow, yet it seemed as if one stood on the cusp of Void and reality; each step seemed to illuminate the surrounding moonlight and sea breeze.
Subtle, indescribable ripples spread through the space.
His aura became increasingly restrained and profound, but precisely because of this, it became increasingly terrifying in Su Mu's perception. It was as if he could transform into countless forms at any moment, appearing from any point in the Void or any fragment of time to deliver a fatal blow.
Li Qingshan quietly released a wisp of his aura, which, though less than one ten-thousandth of his full power, was enough to force her to make a move.
He wanted to personally experience the differences and similarities between this great Dao of time and space, which was based on "Zhouji" and "Taiyu", and the true meaning of time that he had comprehended from the " Wushi Scripture " and the mysteries of time and space involved in the "Xing" character.
"A terrifying expert!"
A sense of foreboding rose in Su Mu's heart. He knew that today he had encountered the most unpredictable and powerful enemy he had ever faced in his cultivation. If he was not careful, he might really be in danger of dying.
Without further hesitation, the decisive and resolute side of the Tai Shang Dao Saintess was immediately revealed.
A glimmer of light suddenly appeared between her brows, then transformed into a faint, almost imperceptible "warm breeze" that seemed capable of dispelling the passage of time.
As soon as the wind appeared, the flow of moonlight around them seemed to slow down.
The warm wind swirled and condensed, instantly transforming into a massive bronze bell, its surface gleaming with a clear, ancient, and mysterious light!
The bell appears to be cast from ancient bronze, covered with countless mysterious runes that move erratically like tadpoles. Each rune seems to contain a fragment of time and the dust of history.
The great bell hangs in the air, and a heavy, vast, and terrifying aura, as if it could freeze the river of time and reverse the past and present, spreads out.
The runes on the bell flow in layers, as if traveling through the past, present, and future, weaving the warp and weft of time.
The moment the giant bell appeared, everything around seemed to freeze.
The moonlight froze, the waves stood still, and even people's thoughts and ideas became incredibly sluggish, as if stripped of the concept of time, falling into a strange state where there was no past, no future, only the present moment Eternal still.
The Clock of the Ultimate Time! The supreme divine power of the Tai Shang Dao, a manifestation of the power to control time!
Li Qingshan's primordial spirit also clearly felt the profound Daoist aura that was trying to freeze his thoughts and solidify his magical power.
The power of time is invisible and intangible, yet it is the most fundamental and the most terrifying.
However, his primordial spirit had been tempered by countless realms, making it incredibly powerful and resilient. With a thought, countless scriptures and profound meanings resonated within his body, and the true meaning of "the future is infinite and the variables are endless," gleaned from the " Future Lifeless Sutra Scripture," burst forth from the depths of his soul.
The future is full of infinite possibilities, so how can time truly stand still? Variables themselves are the greatest challenge to the established order of things!
Li Qingshan's primordial spirit power flowed abundantly, and his thoughts of the future surged like a reversed galaxy, causing the Daoist arts and supernatural powers around him to resonate.
The force of time that attempted to drag him into Eternal stillness was easily pushed away and dissolved by this will that contained infinite variables and pointed to an infinite future.
He carefully contemplated the laws of time contained within the " Clock of the Ultimate Time," corroborating his own knowledge with them.
A moment later, he reduced his power to a level similar to Li Mu's, and then flicked his finger.
A Five-Colored Divine Light, refined to its utmost and containing the wonders of the birth, death, and rotation of the five elements, shot forth from his fingertips. It was like a rainbow across the sky, or the first ray of light at the beginning of chaos. It was silent and yet faster than ordinary perception, shooting straight at Su Mu's face.
Wherever the divine light passed, the Void distorted slightly, as if even the most basic laws of matter were being decomposed and assimilated by it.
The " Clock of the Ultimate Time Tai Shang Dao can be regarded as one of the pinnacle achievements of Dao techniques in this world. Its essence lies in using the cultivator's soul to explore, comprehend, and even integrate the mysteries of the time law that belong to "Heaven's Will" in the dark.
Once unleashed, the ancient bell-shaped body manifested by the divine soul not only solidifies its form but also vibrates with invisible and intangible waves that point directly to the origin.
Under the influence of this fluctuation containing the power of time, the spiritual circulation of any Daoist master will be hindered like never before, as if they are trapped in an invisible quagmire.
"My Clock of the Ultimate Time has always been enough to suppress the vast majority of Ghost Immortal in the world! Even experts who have survived the tribulation of lightning will have their strength greatly reduced when they are within the range of the bell's waves. Fighting this person, he seems completely unaware and acts as usual. This is simply unbelievable." Su Mu felt a chill in his heart. His opponent's unfathomable strength far exceeded his expectations.
Li Qingshan thought to himself, "The profoundness of this technique is such that, as the escaped Jing Ren of the Great Zen Temple once said in the original work, it is an unparalleled method formed by observing the will of heaven, understanding the essence of the flow of time, and then condensing it with immense supernatural mental power."
Once unleashed, the opponent's mind and thoughts are frozen, unable to move, and everything around them seems to stand still.
Its power is so great that it can even affect martial arts saints! Historically, when the Holy Maiden of the Tai Shang Dao or even the sect leader fought against others, she often used this method.
Those with inferior cultivation will have their souls immediately immobilized and unable to move; even those with superior magical power will have their souls bound by immense force, losing only half of the power of their Daoist arts; even Martial Saint with vigorous blood and powerful fist intent will inevitably have their movements slowed down and lose the initiative when their mind is restrained.
Indeed, having tried it myself, I now know that the power of this technique is truly remarkable.
Su Mu's gaze remained unchanged, but his mind raced.
The suspended " Clock of the Ultimate Time " suddenly vanished, turning into specks of clear light that instantly reformed, condensing into a square, nine-story exquisite pagoda!
As soon as the pagoda appeared, it exuded an aura of stability, weight, and the ability to encompass the endless Void.
The tower may not appear large, but it seems to contain an infinite world within it, with layers of space folding and extending.
The incomparably sharp Five-Colored Divine Light that Li Qingshan unleashed, after entering the area covered by the pagoda, vanished as if it were a mud ox sinking into the sea. Instantly, it lost its destructive edge and seemed to be trapped in a boundless, endless Void labyrinth, unable to move forward or backward, weakened, slowed, and dispersed layer by layer by the infinite space.
The Tower of the Great Universe! Another supreme divine power of the Tai Shang Dao, governing the manifestation of the Dao of Space!
"The universe determines time, and the vast universe suppresses the Void. Only when time and space are united can the Tai Shang power be revealed. What a wonderful divine power!" A hint of admiration and enlightenment flashed in Li Qingshan's eyes, and he gained a more intuitive understanding of the great Dao of time and space in the Yang God World.
Clouds in disarray