Chapter 486: Time Finger

Chapter 486: Time Finger

"Ultimate Refinement?" Chen Mu asked, pondering over Mo Zun's words.

Standing at his current level, Chen Mu's experiences were similar to Mo Zun's, and he also believed that the breakthroughs at the three crucial points of Marrow Gate, Blood Transformation, and Celestial Being were essential for tempering the Soul Core.

However, his current Soul Core strength was not solely due to these three tempering processes reaching their peak, but also because of his encounter in the Xiumu Cave Heaven and the Crimson Birth Fruit he obtained from Xiumu.

In fact, the Celestial Being experts present had all experienced countless opportunities, and the Heavenly Earth Spirit Treasures they had used to refine their Soul Cores were numerous. But even if they added them all up, they still couldn't compare to the Crimson Birth Fruit that Chen Mu possessed.

Therefore, in the current world, no one could match Chen Mu in terms of Soul Core strength, not even Mo Zun with all his abilities.

Soon, after Mo Zun finished explaining his concept of Soul Core empowerment, he changed the topic and said, "Only after breaking through the Marrow Gate can one initially sense the existence of the Soul Core power. It is only after reaching the Blood Transformation Realm that the Soul Core truly takes shape."

"As we all know, before the Blood Transformation Realm, the head is the most critical and vulnerable part. Once it is destroyed, one immediately perishes, the consciousness dissipates, and there is no room for resistance. But after reaching the Blood Transformation Realm, even if the head shatters, there is still a final counterattack. This is because after the Soul Core takes shape, the consciousness gathers around it and is no longer restricted by the physical body."

"Since the Soul Core has already taken shape, it can be directly attacked. Therefore, I have cultivated a technique that, in a certain way, refines a strand of the Soul Core into a Soul Core Needle, which can be used to disrupt the opponent's Soul Core during the most critical moments of a battle." Mo Zun spoke with a mysterious gaze.

The Celestial Being experts present all listened with grave expressions. Qingyun Supreme Elder Siku Rui and the others revealed deep apprehension, for Mo Zun, who cultivated the Six Harmonies Path, already possessed an extremely terrifying explosive killing power. Now, with this Soul Core secret art, his sudden attacks would be utterly terrifying!

As Mo Zun said, his Soul Core technique didn't need to cause substantial harm; creating a slight disturbance was enough. Even for a Celestial Being expert, a momentary stagnation at a critical moment could mean the difference between life and death. Among those present, except for the Five Supremes and Chen Mu, anyone else facing Mo Zun might be killed in a single move!

Even someone like Donglin Jianzun might not fare well if caught off guard without prior preparation.

After listening to Mo Zun, Chen Mu narrowed his eyes slightly.

Mo Zun's method was indeed difficult to defend against. In Chen Mu's opinion, this technique was even more dangerous than Yang Qingshan's, who relied on a Great Wilderness treasure to attack the Soul Core. Yang Qingshan's method involved leaving his body to attack others' Soul Cores, which was already at a disadvantage.

Mo Zun, however, was entirely different. He didn't rely on Soul Core attacks as his primary strategy but used them for momentary disruptions. In battles between experts, a single moment was often enough to decide victory or defeat, making this technique incredibly dangerous.

Chen Mu didn't believe that Mo Zun would fully reveal the Soul Core secret technique he cultivated.

Mo Zun was an exceptional Celestial Being who cultivated the Six Harmonies Path, which emphasized the unity of the six elements. Perhaps Mo Zun also had a more powerful offensive technique that involved Soul Core integration, as Chen Mu himself had once used the Six Harmonies Path to crudely integrate a Soul Core strand into the 'Six Harmonies Mantra.'

But...

Chen Mu was indeed interested in Mo Zun's ability to separate and refine a strand of the Soul Core into a needle.

In response to Chen Mu's inquiry, Mo Zun didn't hide anything and soon explained the secret art, saying, "The specific method is roughly as follows: I call this technique the 'Soul Departure Secret Art.' It involves extracting a strand of the Soul Core and refining it into a needle. However, it also has the meaning of hurting the enemy a thousand times and hurting oneself eight hundred times, as Soul Core injuries are not easily healed."

After hearing Mo Zun's explanation, Chen Mu finally understood the Soul Departure Secret Art. It involved using a specific method to cut and refine a strand of Soul Core power into a needle, which meant that one had to first damage a small portion of their own Soul Core.

Soul Core injuries were no small matter, just as Mo Zun said. Even splitting a small part of the Soul Core could cause significant harm to oneself. Even with the 'Unextinguishable Divine Light' technique, which allowed healing over time, it would still take several years to recover from a Soul Core injury.

Each time this technique was used, regardless of whether the enemy was injured or not, the user would need several years to recover.

With such a significant side effect, it was no wonder that Mo Zun was unwilling to use this technique and instead chose to publicly share it for discussion.

For a moment, the nearby Celestial Being experts all had various expressions. Some frowned deeply, some revealed deep wariness, and some remained in deep thought.

Chen Mu also pondered for a long time before turning to Mo Zun and suddenly asking, "Senior Mo Zun, you mentioned that this technique originated from a secret art in the Great Wilderness, which you then deduced and transformed. May I have the opportunity to study this Great Wilderness secret art?"

Hearing this, Mo Zun hesitated slightly before saying, "That Great Wilderness secret art is of no benefit to us martial artists, but since Saint Chen wishes to see it, I will not refuse.

"As he spoke, Mo Zun reached out and quickly retrieved a demonic hide, gently tossing it towards Chen Mu."

Chen Mu extended his hand and caught it.

On the demonic hide was an unusual script, a type of writing that defied description. It was unlike anything Chen Mu had ever seen, yet upon seeing it, he instantly understood its meaning, giving him a strange sense of wonder.

Reading the text carefully, Chen Mu's eyes flickered with realization.

After a long while, he tossed the demonic hide back to Mo Zun, saying, "This is indeed an unorthodox and deviant method, a harmful and useless secret art."

"Mhm," Mo Zun nodded slightly in agreement, then put the demonic hide away.

Many of the Celestial Beings present were curious about the contents of the demonic hide, but upon hearing even Chen Mu call it a deviant and harmful secret art, their curiosity quickly faded.

Not everything in the Great Wilderness was a treasure; some things were useless and harmful, like the Celestial Corpse Sect's corpse refinement technique, rumored to originate from a secret art found in the Great Wilderness.

Such things were not meant to be spread in the world, and they indeed offered no benefit to the Martial Way.

As the most elite experts in the world, these Celestial Beings naturally disdained deviant paths.

Chen Mu, after returning the demonic hide to Mo Zun, shook his head slightly within.

The secret art recorded on the demonic hide was indeed beyond his expectations, but it was also an unorthodox method.

It was called the Soul Splitting Great Technique! The specific content described a method to create 'Soul Splitting Puppets'.

First, the practitioner must split their soul core, at least by a third, and then use a secret art to refine this split portion. They would then infuse it into a newly born fetus, with the only requirement being that the fetus must be of the practitioner's bloodline.

After that, the practitioner would slowly nurture the fetus, allowing it to grow and transform into a Soul Splitting Puppet! These puppets had two major effects. Firstly, due to the infusion of the practitioner's soul core and their guidance, the puppet's growth would be incredibly rapid, reaching a high level in a short time, essentially becoming an additional external incarnation.

Secondly, if the main body died, the soul core within the puppet would gradually awaken, providing a second life!

The reason Chen Mu called it a deviant and harmful secret art lay within these effects.

Firstly, stealing a fetus's body and refining one's bloodline into a half-human, half-artifact object was a perverse act, violating moral principles. Secondly, once the soul core was split, the practitioner would suffer severe consequences, requiring decades to recover.

In a sense, this secret art shared some similarities with Ji Yongzhao's Soul Fusion and Capture technique, but with a crucial difference. Ji Yongzhao's method directly stole others' refined bodies, while this technique was more akin to 'possessing' one's own descendant.

Of course, both the Soul Fusion and Capture technique and the Soul Splitting Great Technique had significant limitations. They required at least Blood Transformation Realm cultivation, with a well-formed soul core, to be barely capable of execution, and even then, the failure rate was extremely high.

Any mistake would result in instant death and soul annihilation.

After a moment of careful consideration, Chen Mu shook his head again. This secret art held no significance for him. He didn't need it for survival or longevity, and the only thing worth learning was the method of soul core manipulation, as the Great Xuan world had limited understanding in this regard.

After all, only those at the Blood Transformation Realm possessed complete soul core power and could initially control their soul core.

At that moment, the numerous Celestial Beings atop Kunlun Mountain were also engaged in continuous discussions about soul core matters, with Chen Mu occasionally joining in, offering a few words that sometimes sparked contemplation and sometimes enlightenment.

Nearly half an hour passed in this manner before the voices of the group gradually quieted.

As the discussions among the Celestial Beings came to an end, all eyes turned to a figure standing beside them, clad in a long Daoist robe. He had an ordinary appearance, with a topknot and a Daoist crown, and he was none other than the last of the Five Absolutes—Xuan Tian Daizhu!

Before Chen Mu's rise, there had been endless debates about whether Xuan Tian Daizhu was the strongest in the world. However, no one in the world dared to judge the Five Absolutes, nor did anyone dare to proclaim Xuan Tian Daizhu as the world's strongest. The world only acknowledged Xuan Tian Daizhu as one of the top three in the current era. If asked who was the strongest in the world, perhaps the most would name Xuan Tian Daizhu.

Of course, all this was before Chen Mu's emergence.

Now, after Chen Mu swept through the capital region, challenged Kunlun, and defeated the Three Absolutes—Donglin Jianzun, Heavensword Gongyang Yu, and Mo Zun—none of whom could withstand even a single strike from Chen Mu, the remaining Xuan Tian Daizhu was not considered a match for Chen Mu by most. But the Five Absolutes were not just the strongest in the world; they stood at the pinnacle of the Martial Way, each forging a unique path.

At this time, Gongyang Yu and Gu Xiaochen, among others, were either paving the way for the Martial Way or laying the foundation for the Blade Way. Naturally, many also turned their hopeful gazes towards Xuan Tian Daizhu, eager to learn what new path he had forged.

At this moment, Xuan Tian Daizhu, under the gaze of the crowd, maintained an unperturbed expression. He calmly stepped forward, looking at Chen Mu, a hint of admiration in his eyes as he spoke, "Many years ago, I heard of your name from my junior brother Tian Suan. Back then, I had a vague feeling that you might be able to reach the pinnacle of martial arts. I thought we would have the chance to discuss martial arts and the Dao in the future, but I never imagined it would come so soon. In just a few years, you've established yourself at the apex of Kunlun Mountain."

"Time changes, and the world is ever-shifting. Nothing surpasses this."

Xuan Tian Daizhu's words trailed off as he bowed slightly towards Chen Mu.

Chen Mu also returned the gesture, bowing to Xuan Tian Daizhu. His mind raced, and he spoke calmly, "Before I attained the Dao, I had the honor of meeting Senior Tian Suan. I wonder how he is doing now? It seems he hasn't come to Kunlun."

Now, many past events became clear in his mind. When Xuan Tian Daizhu mentioned it, he immediately recalled a time in Yu County when he met an old Taoist who wanted to divine his fortune. The old Taoist claimed to be a member of the Xuanji Pavilion, but at the time, Chen Mu had reservations about the Xuanji Pavilion and didn't interact with him much.

After that, the old Taoist's identity seemed uncertain, which puzzled Chen Mu. However, he didn't receive any further news about him, nor did he hear of any impersonation of the Xuanji Pavilion being exposed. The matter was left unresolved.

As time passed, Chen Mu rose to prominence, gradually becoming aware of the top figures in the world. Tian Suan, in particular, caught his attention. He had a vague suspicion that the Taoist who impersonated the Xuanji Pavilion in Yu City might have been Tian Suan, who was traveling in Huanbei at the time. However, Chen Mu had no significant conflicts with Tian Suan, so he didn't investigate further.

Hearing Xuan Tian Daizhu's words now confirmed that the Taoist from years ago was indeed Tian Suan, his junior brother. However, it seemed Tian Suan hadn't come to Kunlun Mountain. Chen Mu's perception range was vast, clearly sensing the aura of almost all Blood Transformation Realm experts, yet Tian Suan's presence was absent.

Xuan Tian Daizhu nodded slightly after hearing Chen Mu's words. "My junior brother Tian Suan went to the Central State some time ago. He observed your battle to stabilize the capital and restore order to the world. After that, he had an epiphany about the principles of heaven and earth and has been in seclusion for over two years."

"If there are no unexpected events, my junior brother might have reached the Celestial Being Realm by the time he emerges from seclusion."

Xuan Tian Daizhu's eyes were clear and calm.

"I should thank you for this, Chen Mu. My junior brother Tian Suan, in his pursuit of understanding the principles of heaven and earth, might not have had this opportunity without your actions. His attainment of the Celestial Being Realm may have been much more challenging without your influence."

Chen Mu, upon hearing Xuan Tian Daizhu's words, responded nonchalantly, "I have a past grievance, and visiting the Central State is a necessary journey. If Senior Tian Suan gains an opportunity from this, it's his own good fortune. Senior Tian Suan once divined my fortune, and it seems to have come true. I should thank him instead."

"Indeed."

Xuan Tian Daizhu smiled and nodded.

Then, he took a few steps forward, his smile gradually fading as he spoke seriously, "This Kunlun discussion has allowed us to witness the paths you've all comprehended. Chen Mu, in particular, has laid the foundation for future martial arts, a truly remarkable achievement. The title of Martial Saint is well-deserved. Now, as we've all displayed our individual insights, I cannot remain silent..."

"Since attaining the Dao, I've contemplated the principles of Yin and Yang, and I've gained some understanding. Today, I've formed a technique, though it's not yet perfected. But with this discussion, I'm honored to have you, Chen Mu, provide your insights. Please, everyone, observe."

Chen Mu stood in his original position, making no further movements, as Xuan Tian Daizhu approached. His expression was calm as he said, "Since you've attained insights in martial arts, I'll gladly witness your technique."

In silence, the numerous Celestial Beings who had gathered to discuss soul cores began to retreat one after another. Aside from the four top experts, including the Master of Heaven Lake Island, the rest of them moved away, leaving the apex of Kunlun Mountain and standing in the distant sky.

Gongyang Yu, Gu Xiaochen, and the Master of Heaven Lake Island, among others, had left a profound impact on those who witnessed their battles with Chen Mu. Even as top Celestial Beings, they didn't want to be caught in the crossfire, as one mistake could be fatal!

Setting aside Chen Mu,

These top Celestial Beings, each with their unique breakthroughs in martial arts, had awe-inspiring abilities. Many people eagerly awaited what Xuan Tian Daizhu would demonstrate.

At this moment,

The nearly hundred Blood Transformation Realm experts, all gazing at the apex of Kunlun Mountain, were witnessing a rare sight. This peerless Celestial Being, whose techniques hadn't been seen by anyone for decades, was about to demonstrate his skills.

And under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Xuan Tian Daizhu's body emanated a trace of invisible power. He then formed a seal with his hands in front of him and softly chanted.

"Chaos separates into Yin and Yang."

With a single motion, the divine seal pointed towards the harmonious path of Yin and Yang, causing strands of heavenly and earthly power to ripple and converge towards Xuan Tian Daizhu's silhouette. Behind him, a Yin-Yang fish with black and white halves formed, rotating in perfect harmony.

The complete path of Yin and Yang!

Throughout history of cultivation, only a handful of individuals had achieved the heavenly realm by comprehending the entirety of Yin and Yang. Even fewer had mastered the path of Heaven and Earth, and those who had done so numbered less than ten in each era, all of them being the pinnacle figures of their time.

With a simple gesture, Xuan Tian Daizhu elegantly revealed the profound mysteries of Yin and Yang. The rotating Yin-Yang fish was incredibly clear, and as it spun, it seemed to tug at the very fabric of heaven and earth, intertwining the cycles of day and night.

This display alone was enough to captivate countless cultivators of the Yin-Yang lineage, including the sisters Hua Nong Yue and Hua Nong Ying, who had been brought to Kunlun Mountain by Chen Mu and were now watching from a side peak, able to see the peak where Xuan Tian Daizhu was located. Despite the great distance, they were immersed in the Yin-Yang transformation performed by Xuan Tian Daizhu.

However, Chen Mu's expression remained unchanged in the face of this perfect evolution of Yin and Yang.

He knew that Xuan Tian Daizhu's abilities were far more extensive than this simple display, and such a minor Yin-Yang transformation was insignificant to him now. What truly piqued Chen Mu's interest was Xuan Tian Daizhu's comprehension of techniques beyond the realm of Yin and Yang.

And almost in the next instant, Xuan Tian Daizhu's divine seal changed subtly.

The rotating Yin-Yang fish behind him began to spin faster, and a hazy and vast aura spread out, becoming increasingly ancient and imbued with an endless vicissitude.

"..."

A faint light finally appeared in Chen Mu's eyes as he realized what Xuan Tian Daizhu had comprehended within the spinning Yin-Yang.

Time!

The path of Time, one of the two fundamental paths alongside the Void! In Chen Mu's opinion, comprehending Time was far more challenging than understanding the Void. Despite a moment of divine insight, where he grasped a hint of Time's mysteries, the system panel had never generated data for a complete comprehension of the path of Time.

The universe was defined by the eight directions and the past, present, and future. While the fundamental paths might not have a clear hierarchy of strength, Chen Mu knew that his future cultivation path was destined to focus on the Void. However, this didn't diminish his aspirations for the other fundamental paths.

Just as the martial path was divided into the eight trigrams, its techniques, he could also choose to cultivate both the Void and Time paths, as long as he prioritized the Void. This wouldn't violate his agreement with Xun Mu.

Hum!

The spinning transformation of the Yin-Yang fish seemed to slow everyone's thoughts, as if time itself were grinding to a halt. As the light of transformation grew more intense, the black and white halves of the fish merged, intertwining indistinguishably. At that moment, Xuan Tian Daizhu finally made his move.

His action was remarkably simple; he merely joined his index and middle fingers, pointing with a sword finger.

But as this sword finger descended, it gave off an incredibly peculiar sensation. In everyone's vision, this finger seemed to move with excruciating slowness, its trajectory clearly visible. However, when Chen Mu attempted to block it, his hand passed right through empty air! The perceived trajectory was an illusion, or perhaps a mere phantom. The true finger moved with a speed that surpassed both visual perception and the senses of celestial beings, approaching Chen Mu in a nearly incomprehensible manner.

Time Finger!

Hum!

The finger pointed directly at Chen Mu's body! Time seemed to freeze at that moment.

In the brief moment of stillness that followed, Xuan Tian Daozhu's expression changed slightly, his face turning pale. He abruptly retreated, moving back several dozen zhang in the blink of an eye.

Almost immediately after, the void where Chen Mu stood silently shattered and collapsed, forming a pitch-black void that completely engulfed Chen Mu's figure!

"Oh no!"

From their distant vantage point overlooking the peak, Yin Heng, Qin Mengjun, and the others witnessed this scene, their faces turning ashen.

The power of Xuan Tian Daozhu's finger seemed even more bizarre and mysterious than Donglin Jianzun's Void Shattering Sword. It was almost incomprehensible, and even Chen Mu, who was evidently unable to dodge it, was struck by the finger, causing the void to collapse around him! Although Xuan Tian Daozhu seemed to endure a powerful backlash, his energy becoming chaotic, he still had the strength to escape the collapsing void. However, Chen Mu was swallowed by it, causing everyone's expressions to change.

Despite Chen Mu's past feats of shattering and tearing through the void with his bare hands, effortlessly treating the void's cracks as nothing, no one dared to assume he could escape from being engulfed by such a vast collapse of the void!

From their side peak, the sisters Hua Nong Yue and Hua Nong Ying, who had also been observing Xuan Tian Daozhu's Yin-Yang transformation, snapped out of their trance. They took a step forward involuntarily, shocked by what they saw, but could do nothing but watch.

On Kunlun Mountain's summit, all the celestial cultivators, including Gu Xiaochen, Mo Zun, and Gongyang Yu, could only retreat in the face of the collapsing void. They dared not get too close, fearing being drawn into its chaos.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end