Chapter 631

Chapter 631: The Past is Irreversible

"The Master is renowned throughout the world. This old man has long wished to pay you a visit. To see the Master today is truly the honor of a lifetime." The Qi Ancestor laughed heartily, retrieving a scroll from his sleeve. He said, "This was created by my late master when he was alive. It’s called the Shen Xiu Scroll. A humble gift for you to accept without disdain."

Ye Xu revealed a satisfied smile and said, "Since you insist, Daoist friend, then I shall accept it graciously."

He received the scroll.

"Daoist friend, since we have met today, why not follow me to Heaven’s Secret Pavilion?"

Ye Xu invited.

The Qi Ancestor hastily shook his head. "Master, I agreed to meet several fellow chess enthusiasts on Zhongnan Mountain. The appointed hour has already passed; I must rush there at once to keep our arrangement."

Hearing this, Ye Xu showed a hint of disappointment.

"Master, rest assured, I will definitely pay you a visit another day," the Qi Ancestor assured.

"Very well then."

Ye Xu sighed. "Take good care."

Swoosh!

The Qi Ancestor fled helter-skelter as if granted a pardon.

"Celestial Lord Wu, come here." Ye Xu gazed lightly towards the cultivators of the Luoshen Dynasty’s faction.

Celestial Lord Wu steeled himself and flew over. With a sycophantic expression, he fawned, "This time, many thanks to the Master for helping this junior escape the sea of suffering. A small token of respect, I hope the Master will accept it."

He produced a Celestial Lord treasure.

"A mere trifle."

Ye Xu accepted the Celestial Lord treasure and said, "The territory of the Luoshen Dynasty is vast. Losing the Zixiao Immortal Domain won’t hurt you. You are given the time it takes for one stick of incense to burn. Gather your valuables and go."

"…"

Celestial Lord Wu didn’t dare refute.

With Ye Xu’s power, exterminating the cultivators of the Luoshen Dynasty would require but the blink of an eye. Not killing them was the greatest mercy.

"This junior will immediately lead our officers and soldiers out of the Zixiao Immortal Domain," Celestial Lord Wu stated solemnly.

Ye Xu nodded.

Swoosh!

Celestial Lord Wu immediately flew towards the military camp to muster his men and withdraw from the Zixiao Immortal Domain.

"Taotie," Ye Xu said, "leave a contingent here to hold the fort. Set off immediately for the immortal domains not yet subdued. Finish this matter within two months."

"Yes!"

Taotie accepted the command and departed.

"Senior," Zhuge Qinmo stared at the black zither, his expression exceptionally aggrieved.

He was merely a music lover. He hadn’t killed and burned anything. For no reason, he’d been fined five trillion divine stones.

Where’s the justice?

"Daoist friend," Ye Xu said, "The path of musical skills isn’t for you. Why waste time on such a dead-end road?"

Zhuge Qinmo said solemnly, "Senior, I have lived for two epochs, and my talents are unmatched among my peers. For any divine ability, I could master it instantly after just one glance."

"In just half an epoch, I cultivated to become a Dao Ancestor and gained mastery over all methods."

"It’s a pity that when it comes to musical skills, I could never grasp their essence."

"So Senior knew about this all along…" Xixi said, suddenly realizing.

Zhuge Qinmo nodded. His musical skills were terrible, and this was undeniable.

But.

He was indeed practicing with great effort.

In this life, even if he could not attain Dao One, he would strive to be a perfect cultivator, with no weaknesses in any aspect.

"Is there truly a perfect person in this world?" Ye Xu shook his head and chuckled dismissively.

"If I can do it, then I will be perfect," Zhuge Qinmo laughed aloud, brimming with confidence.

"Senior, where is Qin Huangluo?"

"Daoist friend, you know the rules of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion. I shouldn’t need to elaborate, right?"

"Senior, state your price," Zhuge Qinmo said solemnly.

"Fifty trillion divine stones," Ye Xu said lightly.

"Again, fifty trillion?" Zhuge Qinmo glared.

"Daoist friend, given your status, a hundred trillion divine stones should be a trifle," Ye Xu laughed. "As the esteemed second-in-command of the Yuan Emperor Palace, surely you can afford a hundred trillion?"

Within the invincible domain, all information about Zhuge Qinmo was transparent to Ye Xu.

The Yuan Emperor Palace was the top power in the yin realm.

There were four Dao Ancestor level existences.

Zhuge Qinmo’s strength ranked second among them.

It must be noted that Zhuge Qinmo’s cultivation was no worse than Emperor Ling’s, yet he only held the second position. The one in first place was likely infinitely close to Dao One.

"Senior is truly impressive," Zhuge Qinmo felt a chill in his heart.

He had not revealed a single word about his identity, yet Ye Xu listed everything like a familiar story, filling Zhuge Qinmo with both fear and wariness.

He took out fifty trillion divine stones and handed them over to Ye Xu.

"Qin Huangluo is in the past," Ye Xu laughed.

"He is in the eighth epoch."

Originally, Qin Huangluo had entered the River of Time to reunite with his wife, all through Ye Xu’s involvement.

Therefore, Qin Huangluo’s whereabouts could be pinpointed without even needing to tap into the system.

Who doesn’t like freebies?

"The Eighth Epoch?"

A hint of realization flashed across Zhuge Qinmo’s face as he inquired, "Senior, what was he doing in the Eighth Epoch?"

Though the Dao Ancestor could traverse the past and present, lingering indefinitely in bygone eras was impossible.

After all, the River of Time could erode even everything.

Given enough time, not even the Dao Ancestor could withstand its relentless assault.

"That," Ye Xu smiled faintly, "is a separate question. It requires additional payment."

"…"

Zhuge Qinmo found himself speechless.

He thought Ye Xu bore no resemblance to a peerless master of the Dao One realm; instead, the man resembled some avaricious merchant from the mundane world.

Constantly talking about money — how utterly vulgar!

"Even someone as noble as myself seems tainted with the stench of copper after keeping his company," Zhuge Qinmo sighed inwardly.

Ye Xu cast him a sidelong glance. "Daoist Friend Zhuge, Qin Huangluo’s musical skills stand unrivaled under heaven. Should you approach him humbly seeking guidance, he might very well impart his knowledge to you."

"I shall heed your counsel, Senior," Zhuge Qinmo bowed deeply, his gaze lingering covetously on the black zither.

"The look in your eyes…" Ye Xu snorted coldly, "A mere epochal treasure—do you truly believe I, the Master of this Pavilion, would stoop to coveting it?"

Xixi’s eyes betrayed a flicker of doubt.

"Many thanks, Senior."

Zhuge Qinmo snatched the black zither in one swift motion, channeled his magic power, and vanished into the River of Time.

"This trip wasn’t entirely wasted after all," Ye Xu remarked with a light chuckle.

"Let’s head back, girl."

The two returned to Heaven’s Secret Pavilion.

…

Within the world of the Pure Land, among the remnants from past epochs of the Eighth Epoch.

Shrouded in the mists of time, the fractured outline of a world was barely discernible. Before a thatched cottage, moonlight weaved intricate patterns across the ground. A melancholy melody hung in the air, casting three distinct shadows upon the earth.

Green mountains and verdant grass surrounded them; waterfalls cascaded down cliffs like streams of silver.

A flock of white swans, seemingly drawn by the zither’s call, soared and circled in the sky, uttering joyous cries that echoed through the stillness.

Upon the lush meadow, a girl in a blue dress — stunningly beautiful — swayed gracefully to the rhythm of the music. Her demeanor was gentle and serene, her eyes luminous and expressive. Though she danced gracefully with innate elegance, a hint of playfulness also flickered in her movements.

Facing her, a man robed in cyan sat, his fingers coaxing a melody from his zither.

The place where the two stood, time flowed like water, isolating them at the other end of spacetime, rendering them unable to return to the past.

Those figures were the Qin Huangluo of long ago and his wife.

Chirp chirp!

The white swan perched on Qin Huangluo’s shoulder witnessed this scene, chirping incessantly.

Twang!

Qin Huangluo shut his eyes, his spirit merging with the zither music. With the ancient zither resting across his knees, his ten fingers plucked the strings, his own melody blending perfectly with the music from the past.

In that instant, he seemed to replace his former self, a faint smile gracing his lips.

Qin Huangluo immersed himself deeply.

Time flew like a shuttle.

An unknowable length passed.

A terrifying power suddenly tore through the heavens, crashing violently into their private world.

The Epoch of Disaster had descended.

Boom!

In an instant, Qin Huangluo’s Dao heart was unsettled.

He opened his eyes only to see a ray of annihilating mysterious light pierce his past self, grievously wounding him as the Great Dao unraveled. The gentle woman then sacrificed her Life Treasure, burning her primordial spirit.

But within mere breaths, her Life Treasure was shattered and her primordial spirit extinguished.

Yet, even as the aftershocks of the Epoch of Disaster finally calmed…

Klang!

The zither strings snapped one by one. Two teardrops traced down Qin Huangluo’s cheeks.

"The Epoch of Disaster…"

Qin Huangluo clenched his jaw till it creaked.

Every epoch erupted into one Epoch of Disaster, and the so-called disaster soil was the world corrupted by its power—a world sealed within the River of Time.

All cultivators face calamities.

But the Epoch of Disaster was the world’s own cataclysm.

"The Master was right: the past cannot be altered." Qin Huangluo lamented bitterly, "Once the primordial spirit is extinguished, not a single trace remains within the heavens and the earth.

"No trace can be found, no rebirth is possible."

That utter lack of any trace was the root cause.

Had even the faintest thread been discoverable, a chance for change might have existed.

Thud!

Qin Huangluo slammed his fist into the River of Time. Time fractured. He threw his head back in a feral roar, features contorted with rage.

"Returning to the past is utterly impossible!"

Qin Huangluo cried out, choked by refusal.

To the him of yore, the current him was nothing more than a stranger passing by.

"So you are Qin Huangluo?"

Suddenly, an aura of profound depth enveloped the Epoch of Disaster Soil of the Eighth Epoch. Zhuge Qinmo appeared radiant, his laughter booming, "Ha ha ha! Elder, you may be obsessed with money, yet your word holds true."

"Qin Huangluo, I am Zhuge Qinmo, Dao Ancestor of the Yuan Emperor Palace from the yin realm."

Zhuge Qinmo announced his name.

His regard for Qin Huangluo was clearly paramount.

"It is said your musical skills stand unrivaled across the yang realm. I have come expressly to challenge you!"

"Let us duel!"