Chapter 557: The Battle of Yesteryear, Unveiling Yuting

Chapter 557: The Battle of Yesteryear, Unveiling Yuting

Upon hearing Meng You's explanation, Xu Yan suddenly understood. So that was how the definition of the realm of the Master of the Universe came to be, and now, the lesser Master of the Universe was also referred to as the Realm Master.

However, to distinguish between the two, those who had created their own small universes were called lesser Masters of the Universe, while those who had attained this power without creating a universe were called Realm Masters.

There were no lesser Masters of the Universe in the Unchanging Divine Temple, only Realm Master-level experts. This was because no one in the Unchanging Divine Temple had created their own small universe.

"The lesser Masters of the Universe are still embodiments of the laws of the universe, with the laws of the universe assimilated into their very being. When these laws evolve and transform into Dao laws, they become the pinnacle of the lesser Masters of the Universe."

"As for the Masters of the Universe, they are embodiments of the Dao laws of the universe. Their beings are not laws, but Dao itself. The establishment of the Dao realm is the initial step towards the Dao, but it is not strong enough nor perfect enough. Thus, those who have just entered or achieved a low level of proficiency in the Dao realm possess greater strength than the lesser Masters of the Universe, but are still weaker than the Masters of the Universe."

"Once the established Dao nears perfection, one attains the strength of a Master of the Universe. Since the Dao established by the Masters of the Universe is different from the assimilated Dao laws, the established Dao is even more powerful."

"Moreover, the establishment of the Dao is not the end. For the Masters of the Universe, there is still a path yet untraveled."

Xu Yan's heart stirred as he listened.

Meng You sighed and continued, "The battle back then was extremely fierce. It was the first time in our lives that we had fought with all our might. I pushed the Blood Devil Dao to its limits and blood refined two pseudo Masters of the Universe. With this secret technique, I temporarily boosted my strength.

"Wu Mo, Ao Hong, and Hong Ze, even the usually gentle Qing Yu, used powerful secret techniques as well. Qing Yu wasn't skilled in combat, but she excelled in healing and recovering from injuries, reducing damage. She killed one pseudo Master of the Universe and held off three others.

"Tai Cang's strength was truly unimaginable. We even suspected that he had already surpassed the realm of the Masters of the Universe, but Tai Cang said he hadn't broken through to that level yet.

"That was also the first time we witnessed Tai Cang's true strength. A typical pseudo Master of the Universe couldn't withstand three punches from him. Even the top experts among the pseudo Masters of the Universe, whose strength was only slightly inferior to ours, were still defeated by Tai Cang in a very short period of time.

"We thought that we could easily crush the Unchanging Divine Temple in that battle. We fought so fiercely that we struck fear into the hearts of the pseudo Masters of the Universe in the Unchanging Divine Temple.

"It was only when the Unchanging God Master made his move that Tai Cang was too occupied to pay attention to anything else. He engaged in a fierce battle with the Unchanging God Master, but from the start, Tai Cang was at a disadvantage.

"We knew that things couldn't continue this way, so Wu Mo and I decided to go all out, even if it meant burning our origins, to help Hong Ze withdraw from the battlefield and return to the universe to aid us in our escape.

"By this point, we had no choice but to risk everything. I, Wu Mo, and Ao Hong were all determined to join the battle with our own universes, even if it meant burning them up. We would rather destroy our universes than let the Unchanging Divine Temple benefit from them."

As he spoke, Meng You's eyes turned red, revealing the intensity of that battle long ago.

They were willing to bury their entire universe with them, even if it meant losing to the Unchanging Divine Temple.

Obviously, they had failed.

Hong Ze had returned to the universe but had not yet brought it back with him when he was killed and devoured.

Xu Yan thought of what the Canghai Turtle had said, and his heart filled with doubt. Since Hong Ze had died at the hands of the Unchanging God Master, how had Tai Cang failed to hold him back, allowing him the opportunity to leave the battlefield and devour Hong Ze?

"Hong Ze didn't make it back, and we could no longer hold on. Just then, a shadow descended, and everything ended. I heard Tai Cang's angry roar.

"I saw Wu Mo being knocked away, his origin shattering, along with his universe. Ao Hong's dragon body was almost split in two. I only heard Qing Yu call out sadly, 'Big Brother Tai Cang,' before all went silent.

"I was badly injured. I felt a hand grab my shoulder and throw me out of the battlefield, but soon, a shadow enveloped everything. I wanted to fight with all my might, but..."

Meng You paused for a long time before finally sighing in resignation.

"A loss is a loss. Tai Cang died, and I don't know how his battle with the Unchanging God Master ended, but in the end, we were defeated."

Xu Yan was stunned. That battle had been even more intense than what Canghai Turtle and Taihe had described.

"Hong Ze died. He was devoured as soon as he returned to the universe," Xu Yan said thoughtfully.

Meng You nodded. "When Hong Ze didn't return, we knew. We all felt it the moment he perished."

Xu Yan asked curiously, "How did you end up seeking refuge in the Unchanging Divine Temple?"

Meng You smiled. "I've said too much, and you've said too little. If we're exchanging information, why hold back?"

Meng You's eyes widened in shock as Xu Yan briefly explained the mysteries of the Great Desolation's transformation. He, as the ruler and creator of the world, was astounded by the revelation.

"The final resting place for the deceased of the Great Desolation, and the cycle of reincarnation?" Meng You exclaimed, his face filled with disbelief. The Great Change had brought about such unexpected wonders, far beyond his imagination.

"If the Dao of Heaven is strong enough and the cycle of reincarnation is perfected, even a powerful being like yourself could, upon your demise, have your soul enter the cycle of reincarnation and be reborn," Xu Yan continued. "If you possess the secret art of reincarnation, you may even retain your memories of your past life. However, the current Dao of the Great Desolation is not advanced enough to achieve this for all beings, only the weaker ones."

Xu Yan added with a smile, "Well, what do you think? Is this information valuable enough? Whether or not you can understand its implications is no longer my concern."

Xu Yan's curiosity got the better of him, and he asked, "After the defeat, why didn't the Unchanging God immediately devour the Great Desolation?"

This had been a long-standing mystery, one that even Taihe and the others couldn't explain. They could only speculate that the Unchanging God had also suffered severe injuries, temporarily sparing the Great Desolation. Or perhaps, another force had restrained him.

Meng You's expression turned to one of disbelief as he heard about the incredible transformation of the Great Desolation. He couldn't fathom what could have brought about such changes. No wonder they said that the Great Desolation was now a thing of the past.

The Great Desolation!

Meng You committed this name to memory, a sense of foreboding filling him. He had a feeling that the Unchanging God's schemes would come to naught. Attempting to devour the Great Desolation and extract its essence would likely prove to be nothing but a pipe dream.

Of course, Meng You had no intention of reporting any of this information to the Unchanging God. He would feign ignorance.

"The Unchanging God didn't devour the Great Desolation because the time wasn't right," Meng You explained. "He's biding his time, waiting for the next cycle to begin. When the next light appears, he plans to devour and extract everything from the Great Desolation to achieve some unknown purpose."

At this point, there was no point in hiding the truth.

Meng You even hoped that the Unchanging Temple would fail, giving the Great Desolation a chance to prepare and defend itself. That would be a good thing.

"The next cycle?" Xu Yan asked, confused. "What do you mean?"

Since they were already discussing these secrets, Meng You saw no reason to hold back.

"I only recently learned about these secrets myself," Meng You said with a solemn voice. "Now I understand that our defeat was not without reason. When the Unchanging Land first appeared, a purple light cut through the chaos. The Great Desolation led us to seize this light. While a portion of it was used to transform ourselves, most of it was used to create the heavens and the earth.

"The Unchanging Land measures time by the appearance of these lights. From the moment the first light appears to the emergence of the next, that span of time is considered one cycle. When the next light cuts through the chaos, it marks the beginning of the next cycle and the end of the previous one. The Unchanging God has likely spared the Great Desolation all this time, waiting for the next cycle to begin, so he can devour and extract everything from it to fulfill some unknown purpose."

Xu Yan's face reflected his surprise. He had never expected such secrets to exist. That beam of purple light was not unique; instead, at regular intervals, a beam of light would cut through the chaos.

"I understand now," Xu Yan said, his eyes widening with realization. "The seven great heavens have existed for less than one cycle, while the Unchanging Temple has endured for at least two cycles. No wonder you feel that your defeat was justified.

"Moreover, the Unchanging God may have obtained the blessings of these lights, and perhaps not just once."

The seven great heavens were newcomers compared to the ancient and deeply rooted Unchanging Temple. Their defeat was not without reason.

Meng You nodded in agreement and added, "The next light may not be purple. According to the Unchanging God, each light is of a different color, and I suspect that each one holds a unique mystery."

He paused to catch his breath before continuing, "There's also a specific method to obtaining these lights. Initially, it was the Great Desolation who taught us how to do it. I suspect that the Unchanging God may not know how to obtain them, but this is just my speculation.

"As for what the Unchanging God intends to do when the next cycle begins, or whether it's for his own advancement, I don't know. He's a very secretive being, and I've never even seen his true form."

Xu Yan's eyes lit up as he finally understood. "So that's how it is!"

Meng You smiled and said, "I've told you a lot. Now it's your turn to share something."

"No problem."

Xu Yan smiled and said, "You might be interested in the cycle of reincarnation, so let me explain it to you. Of course, it will only be a brief explanation as my understanding of it is limited as well."

"Alright," Ming Yu nodded.

Xu Yan gave a concise explanation about the cycle of reincarnation, and the two took turns asking each other questions to clarify their doubts.

"You seem to be deliberately avoiding my question about how you came to join the Unchanging Divine Temple," Xu Yan finally brought up the topic of Ming Yu's allegiance again.

Ming Yu fell silent for a moment before replying, "When I was born, I had a younger brother who was just beginning to develop his spiritual consciousness as I wandered the Unchanging Lands. Back then, we were not very strong, but because we had consciousness, we knew how to set traps and avoid some dangerous places.

"Once, while devouring the blood of a True Spirit, I suddenly had the inspiration to use their blood to strengthen myself. So, my brother and I spent a lot of time experimenting, and we made some progress. But then, an accident happened, and I was corrupted by the tainted blood of a True Spirit. Although my consciousness remained clear, I appeared to be dead as my aura disappeared completely.

"To save me, my brother went out to gather the blood of True Spirits, but he encountered some unexpected troubles. When he returned, he gave me a Purifying Blood Tree and told me that he had encountered an extremely powerful being. He didn't want to be enslaved, so he decided to run away and didn't want that being to discover me.

"And with that, my brother disappeared without a trace. You can probably guess that the being he mentioned was the Unchanging God Master."

Ming Yu's expression was filled with complex emotions.

"I thought that the powerful being he spoke of was some terrifying True Spirit. After I recovered, I searched for my brother but to no avail. It wasn't until the battle with the Unchanging Divine Temple that I learned he had become an elder of the Unchanging Divine Temple. He pleaded with the Unchanging God Master to spare my life."

Xu Yan remained silent, now understanding who Ming Yu's brother was.

Blood Demon! The Blood Demon Path that Ming Yu cultivated was named after him and his brother.

"Blood Demon's current situation might not be very good. I wonder if Blood Extreme has succeeded. If he has, then Blood Extreme, who once followed Ming Yu, has become Ming Yu's younger brother?"

"No, I'm afraid Ming Yu would go insane," Xu Yan mumbled to himself.

It was evident that the bond between Ming Yu and Blood Demon was deep, and Blood Demon must have paid a significant price to save Ming Yu, as could be guessed from Ming Yu's conflicted expression.

"I understand now," Xu Yan nodded, not mentioning Blood Demon's situation. Whether Blood Demon would be replaced or not would depend on his own destiny.

"The Unchanging God Master is very powerful and mysterious. To this day, I have never seen his true form, and even my brother, who is already an elder of the Unchanging Divine Temple, has never laid eyes on him.

"My brother's martial arts were also guided by the Unchanging God Master. He is a formidable enemy, and although the Great Desolation's Dao might not be weak, it has existed for too long and cannot match the Unchanging God Master.

"However, finding support from Yuting is a good idea, but you should also be cautious of Yuting's intentions. They might also harbor ambitions to devour the world."

Ming Yu paused for a moment, deep in thought, before adding this reminder.

"Yuting?" Xu Yan was taken aback. "What is Yuting? You mean you're not seeking support from them?"

Ming Yu was surprised as well. "The Great Desolation doesn't need to rely on outsiders for support. What is this Yuting? I've never heard of it."

Xu Yan furrowed his brows. The Great Desolation's greatest support was, of course, his master. There was no need to seek help from outsiders.

Ming Yu was stunned, and he pointed at Ming Yu, "She's from Yuting. You're with her, and you don't know about Yuting?"

Xu Yan's spirits lifted as he realized that apart from the Great Desolation and the Unchanging Divine Temple, there was a third force within the Unchanging Divine Temple.

Ming Yu was from Yuting! No wonder she was neither a creature of the heavens and earth nor a member of the Unchanging Divine Temple.

"I only met her by chance. She gave me a reward and asked me to escort her for a while, and I was curious about the Green Spirit Jade Bamboo, so I agreed," Xu Yan explained. "Can you tell me more about this Yuting?"

Ming Yu's face showed his surprise. "Yuting is a force within the Unchanging Lands that is no weaker than the Unchanging Divine Temple, and it is very mysterious. Even the Unchanging God Master treats them with caution.

"To be honest, I don't know much about Yuting either, but the fact that even the Unchanging God Master treats them with caution shows how powerful they are. Moreover, Yuting's true intentions are also unknown.

"The next cycle is about to begin, and the Unchanging Divine Temple has started to guard against Yuting's interference in the affairs of the Tai Cang world. I was ordered to stop strong cultivators from Yuting from entering this region..."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end