Chapter 508: The Flame of Time
Chapter 508: The Flame of Time
"A... broken Void Divine Armament?"
Chen Mu extended his hand and picked up the broken sword that was placed in the center of the Alien Ancestral Land's secret treasury. He held it upright, carefully examining the broken part, but couldn't determine how it had been severed.
After a brief inspection, Chen Mu held the broken half of the sword horizontally in front of him and flicked his finger.
Ding!
A crisp sound of metal clashing rang out.
Chen Mu's finger strike seemed ordinary, but in reality, he had put his full strength into it, concentrating his primal force and physical might into a single point. Even an upper-grade Sacred Armament would not withstand this strike and would surely be shattered by him.
However, after enduring Chen Mu's finger strike, the broken sword remained intact, without even a scratch on its surface. Its resilience far surpassed that of any Sacred Armament Chen Mu had ever seen in his life.
Hss!
A faint light flashed in Chen Mu's eyes as he held the broken sword and suddenly thrust it forward, tearing through the void and piercing it, causing the broken sword to be embedded directly into the void.
Even as it withstood the crushing force of the void's fissure, the broken sword remained completely undamaged. Furthermore, when the void gradually healed, it treated the sword as if it were part of the void itself, seamlessly embedding it within.
There was no fluctuation of power.
It was as if a brick had been embedded in a wall, with only the hilt of the sword suspended in the air. This was not floating but rather embedded in the void, and even a Blood Transformation Realm cultivator would have to exert all their strength to pull it out.
However, after examining it for a moment, Chen Mu slightly exerted his strength and easily pulled the broken sword out of the void. The broken tip that had been embedded in the void's surface, after enduring the void's force for some time, remained completely unchanged.
After further testing, Chen Mu finally drew some conclusions.
First, this broken sword was undoubtedly of a quality surpassing all Sacred Armaments, and it must be a Void Dao Divine Armament.
Second, ordinary people would have no way to wield this sword.
Not even he could.
Chen Mu had some understanding of the Void Dao, and he had even cultivated the Immortal Soul Core, making him half a Divine Realm cultivator. But even when he tried to awaken this Void Divine Armament with the power of his Immortal Soul Core, he still couldn't activate its might.
In other words, this broken sword was like an indestructible brick to him, so resilient that nothing in this world could compare to it. But precisely because of this, no force could affect it.
Heaven and Earth might, the power of Heaven and Earth, no matter what power was infused into it, it was like pouring water into a bottomless pit.
Perhaps it was because of its incompleteness,
Or perhaps it required the power of the void to activate it.
In any case, after Chen Mu's attempts, the broken sword remained unchanged.
He now understood why such an obviously superior divine object, clearly surpassing ordinary Sacred Armaments, would be placed in the secret treasury of the Alien Ancestral Land and remain unused. For cultivators of this world, this Divine Armament was unable to unleash its power, making it no different from a fire stick, far less useful than a handy Sacred Armament. At most, it could be used as a 'shield' in a pinch.
"This Divine Armament will probably only have a chance to shine if it falls into my hands."
Chen Mu held the broken sword in front of him and muttered to himself as he gazed at the sword.
His Heaven and Earth Saber had been completely destroyed in the previous battle with the Demon Tribe's Divine Realm expert, and even its fragments couldn't be found. Now, he no longer had a handy weapon, unless he disassembled and recast the Emperor Seal, but even then, the result would be at most a top-tier Sacred Armament, which would be useless against Divine Realm cultivators.
This broken sword of the Void Dao, now in his hands, was exactly what he needed. After all, what he was about to comprehend next was the Void Dao, and with the help of the system panel, he wouldn't take long to initially grasp the Void Dao.
Even...
If he couldn't comprehend the Void Dao and couldn't activate the power of this Divine Armament, he could still use it with sheer brute force, taking advantage of its nearly indestructible resilience, although it would be a bit too violent.
After a brief contemplation, Chen Mu took out the Heaven and Earth Flask and tried to store the broken sword within it.
However, he failed!
Despite appearing ordinary and lacking any divine glow, when Chen Mu merely attempted to place the broken sword into the Heaven and Earth Flask, it caused the space within to violently shake, almost shattering it!
The Heaven and Earth Flask itself also contained a trace of void power, but it was just a strand of void power naturally contained within the 'Void Jade Crystal', a special material. The forging of the Heaven and Earth Flask only used auxiliary means to guide the Void Jade Crystal to form a small Heavenly Grotto space on its own, and the entire process of opening the void was beyond anyone's control.
The broken Void Divine Weapon before him, its true nature was evidently far beyond that of the Heaven and Earth Flask. The tiny Cave Heaven within the flask couldn't possibly bear the weight of this weapon; forcing it in would only lead to the flask's complete destruction.
Seeing this, Chen Mu's eyes glinted with a faint light.
The broken sword was not large, and while it couldn't fit into the Heaven and Earth Flask, it was still manageable. Carrying it on his person would only further emphasize its extraordinary nature.
Although the Alien Race's Secret Treasury lacked any valuable Sacred Objects worth taking, obtaining a damaged Void Divine Weapon was still a worthwhile endeavor.
Swish!
After putting away the Heaven and Earth Flask, Chen Mu casually strapped the broken sword to his waist. He then swept his gaze across the entire treasury before taking a step forward and disappearing without a trace.
After Chen Mu's departure, the Alien Race's Secret Treasury fell back into darkness and silence.
Time passed, and no one knew how long it had been.
A faint spiritual light flashed, and Sacred Runes appeared throughout the treasury, gradually dissipating.
A large, robust figure stepped into the treasury—it was the Great Ancestor Qiu Xiang of the Alien Race.
Qiu Xiang took only one step forward before stopping, his gaze fixed on the center of the treasury. He then scanned the entire treasury with his eyes and shook his head slightly, sighing.
The Heaven's Broken Sword had been obtained by chance by one of the Alien Race's Great Ancestors. However, after some time, the ancestor realized he had been deceived, as the sword was completely unusable and offered no insights. Moreover, it only attracted unnecessary trouble, and once exposed, it would immediately attract the covetousness of countless powerful beings.
The original possessor of the Heaven's Broken Sword might have realized its uselessness, considering it a hot potato. They must have found a way to get rid of it, and after several twists and turns, it ended up in the hands of the Alien Race.
After discovering this, the Great Ancestor hid the Heaven's Broken Sword in the Secret Treasury.
Later, when he became the Great Ancestor and took over the treasury, he found the sword and spent many years researching it, but to no avail. He had no choice but to hide this hot potato.
Now, the Heaven's Broken Sword had suddenly disappeared, and there were no signs of damage in the treasury. In this world, the only person capable of such a feat was likely the Martial Saint Chen Mu. It seemed that the sword falling into Chen Mu's hands was fate.
...
After leaving the Alien Ancestral Land, Chen Mu didn't interfere with the Alien Race's affairs.
With Chen Mu's suppression of the Alien Race and the Divine Fire under his control, not to mention the Great Calamity looming, all beings in this realm faced a shared struggle. If Yuan Hong couldn't handle the situation, he wouldn't be worthy of being the Northern Defense Duke.
Chen Mu strode across the vast wilderness, his thoughts intertwining with heaven and earth, encompassing the entire realm within his perception.
At this moment, his vision seemed to reach infinite heights, overlooking the vast territory. Wherever his attention turned, that area would zoom in, until even the flapping of a fly's wings became clear.
"The border..."
Chen Mu's gaze fell upon the extreme north, and he muttered to himself.
Currently, he stood outside the Great Xuan Dynasty, in the northwest of Ice Province. Looking further north from here, the 'border' he spoke of wasn't the Great Xuan Dynasty's frontier but the edge of this world.
Two thousand li north of here lay a vast frozen land, a snow-covered wilderness inaccessible to ordinary beings. The cold there exceeded the limits of what mortals could endure.
Beyond the snow-covered wilderness, a desolate and eerie landscape awaited, devoid of snow and shrouded in deep darkness. It was like a bottomless abyss, filled with white Void cracks, making it extremely dangerous even for Blood Transformation Realm experts.
Nearly a thousand li further, approaching the limits of Chen Mu's perception, was a completely shattered landscape. Floating in the air were scattered pieces of land, some crumbling and breaking apart.
Suddenly, Chen Mu's gaze focused.
In such a place, there was still life! Calling it 'life' might be a misnomer, as the being was enveloped in deathly energy, just a step away from death.
In a one-six-one-nine-one-book-one-look-one-no-mistake version!
The being was like a deer, seemingly a demon, but without a trace of demonic energy. Chen Mu only sensed a nearly withered Heaven and Earth power within it.
As if sensing Chen Mu's gaze, the deer-like being lifted its head and looked in Chen Mu's direction. They gazed at each other from a distance of several thousand li.
This mutual gaze confirmed Chen Mu's suspicion of the other's identity—a Primordial Being.
In the history of Great Xuan, including all records, there was no mention of Primordial Beings. This was because, in ancient times, humans were extremely weak and couldn't differentiate between Primordial Beings and demons. They were all considered powerful demons.
But the truth was different.
Primordial Beings were lifeforms that emerged alongside the creation of Heaven and Earth. They were the manifestation of the Will of Heaven and Earth at the very beginning of creation.
Although they were innately powerful, as companions of Heaven and Earth, they couldn't transcend these realms.
"You are strong."
"Has this world already given birth to such a powerful Laterborn Being as you?"
As the two, a man and a deer, gazed at each other from a distance of several thousand miles, the deer-like being suddenly spoke.
It spoke without any physical movement or human words. It merely conveyed its thoughts to Chen Mu, directly from the realm of consciousness.
Chen Mu wasn't surprised by the transmitted thoughts. After all, a ninth-level Celestial Demon possessed intelligence comparable to humans. Moreover, the being before him had existed since the beginning of creation and had survived to the present day as a Primordial Being.
"You were fortunate enough to cultivate to this level... Senior, are you a Primordial Being that has existed since the beginning of this Heaven and Earth?"
"Fortunate? Hehe, for a weak Laterborn Being to reach the edge of transcending Heaven and Earth, this isn't a matter of fortune. The birth of beings like you indicates that this Heaven and Earth is entering its 'prime' stage."
The deer-like being spoke with a relaxed tone.
"Prime?"
Chen Mu's expression showed a hint of contemplation.
"All beings have a process of birth, growth, prime, and decay. Heaven and Earth are no exception. As Laterborn Beings grow stronger, we Primordial Beings and even the Will of Heaven and Earth will gradually fade away with time."
The deer-like being spoke calmly.
"Will the Will of Heaven and Earth also fade away?" Chen Mu asked.
"Of course. After the prime comes decay, just like the bodies of beings decay and return to Heaven and Earth. The Will of Heaven and Earth will also decay with the passage of time."
Chen Mu paused for a moment before asking, "Senior, do you know about the ancient Demon Tribe?"
"Hmm, that was a long time ago. That tribe came from beyond the heavens and invaded this Heaven and Earth. They were powerful, and we Primordial Beings had to exert all our strength to stop them... But they could have continued their invasion, yet for some unknown reason, they stopped."
The deer-like being explained.
"They are about to invade again," Chen Mu said.
The deer-like being was slightly surprised and fell into a brief contemplation. After a moment, it responded, "Then it's up to you to resist them. I am the last Primordial Being, and we can no longer protect this realm."
At this point, it paused briefly, then opened its mouth and spat out a strange object that floated in the air.
"This may be of use to you."
The strange object was a cluster of dazzling light, and upon closer inspection, it seemed to have a flickering candle flame at its center, radiating a magnificent multicolored light that defied description. It was as if all the beauty in the world couldn't compare to this flickering flame.
Chen Mu gazed at the multicolored flame, and despite the distance of several thousand miles, he could sense a unique aura, distinct from the aura of the void or the aura of creation.
It was the aura of time!
The flame seemed to be a burning flame of time! After spitting out this flame, the dead energy on the deer-like being's body became heavier, spreading at a nearly visible speed.
"This is..."
Chen Mu exclaimed in surprise.
"Over countless ages, some things cross the vast void and fall into this realm. This is one of them. I obtained it long ago, and it's why I've survived until now. This flame contains the power of time. I call it the Flame of Time."
The deer-like being slowly explained, "Now, my life has reached its end. Even with this object, it's no longer meaningful. I leave it to you. Those heavenly demons are coming back, and this time, you can only rely on yourselves."
As its words ended,
The deer-like being's body quickly disintegrated, not decaying like a demon but transforming into scattered spiritual particles and disappearing into Heaven and Earth.
Only the flickering flame of time remained in the void, still radiating its magnificent multicolored light, as if eternal and unchanging.
(End of Chapter)
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