Chapter 559: The Truth of Time Travel! The Hao Tian Emperor Who Stepped Out of the Past!

Chapter 559: The Truth of Time Travel! The Hao Tian Emperor Who Stepped Out of the Past!

February 17, 2025

"This Li Yunhe has been wreaking havoc in the surrounding counties for years, and who knows how many unmarried women he has harmed. I never thought he would be captured by Xu the Catcher of Black Goose City!"

"Well done! That evil one deserved to die!"

"My child..."

"You dog thief! Today, I'll take your head back and make it into a chamber pot!"

". . ."

The bustling crowd's noise echoed from outside the execution ground. On the execution platform, a young man in prison clothes was bound and knelt on the ground, his body trembling and his expression terrified.

Behind this young man stood another youth, slightly thinner in build, with a calm demeanor, leaning on a demon's head great sword, waiting for the moment of execution.

Qin Zheng stood amidst the crowd, but the people around him seemed unaware of his presence, as if he were in a different space-time.

His gaze swept over the surroundings, and a hint of reminiscence appeared in his eyes.

This was Black Goose City, the place he had just traveled to, where everything began in this county town.

As his gaze fell on the youth leaning on the demon's head great sword on the execution platform, a peculiar feeling arose within him.

The youth had the same body as him, but the soul within was different, creating a subtle sensation.

This should be the moment before the incident. After this execution, 'Qin Zheng' would be secretly struck by Wei Feng of the Golden Cicada Gang with a Black Calamity Palm.

Then, the Black Calamity Palm would torment him relentlessly, and after seeking medical help to no avail, he would eventually die in pain, leading to his time travel.

Qin Zheng wanted to witness the abnormalities in the world during his time travel and try to identify who brought him over.

Thus, his figure appeared vague and mysterious, standing amidst the crowd outside the execution ground, silently observing what was about to unfold.

But no one attempted to disrupt the execution. The playboy flower-plucking thief, Li Yunhe, was beheaded by his own sword with just one sentence, 'The time has come.'

The crowd immediately burst into a mix of crying and cheers.

Li Yunhe's corpse was casually discarded outside the execution ground, and the relatives of the victims immediately stepped forward with chopping knives, chopping his headless remains into minced meat.

The wild dogs that had been loitering around rushed forward and devoured Li Yunhe's minced remains.

The common people, instead of being afraid, clapped and cheered.

On the other side, 'Qin Zheng' did not linger at the execution ground. After sheathing the demon's head great sword, he turned and left.

However, he underestimated Li Yunhe's evil and the enthusiasm of the people. As he stepped out, the crowd surged forward, expressing their gratitude.

Although Xu the Catcher of Black Goose City had captured Li Yunhe, it was the young man in front of him who had beheaded the criminal. They were ordinary people who rarely saw Xu the Catcher, and the only person they could interact with was the small executioner before them.

Qin Zheng, amidst the crowd, also spotted Wei Feng of the Black Calamity Palm. Taking advantage of the chaos and confusion, he secretly struck out with a palm, hitting 'Qin Zheng' in the chest.

But at this time, 'Qin Zheng' had not yet cultivated martial arts, and his perception was not sharp. He did not realize that he had been hit, and he continued to smile and respond to the people around him.

The subsequent events unfolded exactly as Qin Zheng had anticipated. First, he felt discomfort, then the pain gradually intensified. After seeking medical treatment to no avail, he went to the Daoist temple for a talisman.

Finally, he died in agony on the bed.

Qin Zheng's eyes narrowed, and he immediately opened up his perception, focusing on what was about to happen.

In his gaze, he saw 'Qin Zheng' dying in agony on the bed, his body visibly withering at a speed perceivable to the naked eye, and then turning into ashes and dissipating.

Qin Zheng's expression froze.

But before he could think further, a dazzling golden light suddenly shone in the small earthen house, and a figure in a suit and tie appeared in the void, standing on the bed.

This was his earthly body!

He had always thought that his current body was Qin Zheng's body in this world, and he had only traveled here in spirit.

But he never expected that he had traveled here with his entire body, both flesh and soul! However, if that were the case, why did he wake up in the form of Qin Zheng in this world, and why did he also have the mark of Wei Feng's Black Calamity Palm on his chest?

Qin Zheng's mind was filled with thoughts at this moment.

And at this very moment—

Whoosh!

The Time River suddenly became turbulent.

It was as if this segment of 'history' was not meant to be 'read' again, and a powerful force of repulsion descended, about to expel Qin Zheng from this 'history'.

But at this moment, on the Inner Sea of Qin Zheng's mind, the Scroll of Merit suddenly glowed with a golden light. This radiance quickly enveloped Qin Zheng's entire body, and the force of repulsion dissipated.

However, the turbulent surge of the Time River did not subside; instead, it seemed to be intensifying!

Qin Zheng watched himself on the bed while extending his perception to the Time River. He immediately discovered that at the source of the river, an enormous commotion was taking place.

But with Qin Zheng's current abilities, he couldn't see what was happening at the source, nor could he discern the cause.

He could only sense the increasing commotion, the Time River becoming more turbulent, and even the current scene seemed to become illusory, as if some disturbance upstream was cutting off this 'future'.

Qin Zheng didn't have time to investigate the truth; he directly stepped out and returned to the Time River, locating the temporal anchor of when he had left the Eight Scenery Palace, ready to return at any moment.

The timeline had changed, but with the divine Scroll of Merit as his support, no matter what changes occurred, he would eventually reach this step.

At most, he might have been an executioner in the original timeline, then a butcher after the alteration, or some other origin, but it wouldn't hinder his rise to the Beyond-the-Shore.

Just as thoughts surged in Qin Zheng's mind, a familiar golden light suddenly descended from the source of the Time River, then plunged directly into the river, appearing at a specific temporal node.

Qin Zheng paused on the Time River, his eyes revealing a hint of astonishment. That golden light was too familiar; it was undoubtedly the radiance of the Scroll of Merit!

In other words, the golden light that had just descended from the source of the Time River was the Scroll of Merit currently floating in his Inner Sea!

With this realization, a sense of connection emerged in Qin Zheng's heart. He looked back at the temporal node he had just left, and in the earthen hut, a golden light flickered, and the Scroll of Merit merged into the Earthly Body.

Then, the Earthly Body's appearance swiftly transformed into the executioner Qin Zheng, with the suit and tie changing into the executioner's attire, and even the palm print on his chest slowly emerged.

After the transformation, the Scroll of Merit quieted down, the golden light in the earthen hut vanished, and the hut returned to its original humble and lonely state.

Seeing this, Qin Zheng's heart stirred. The manipulator who had altered his appearance and form was none other than the Scroll of Merit that had always floated in his Inner Sea! Although he didn't understand why the Scroll of Merit had chosen him, when he thought about the commotion upstream in the Time River and his speculations about the Scroll of Merit's origin, a flash of insight appeared in Qin Zheng's heart.

The commotion at the source of the Time River was very likely related to the Nine Continents! It could be the disturbance caused by the Hao Tian Emperor's initial attainment of the Beyond, attracting pollution and invasion! Or it could be the Beyond in the Chaos Ocean, where the Nine Continents were jointly struck after their simultaneous transcendence!

A light shone in Qin Zheng's eyes.

At this moment, he wanted to travel upstream to the temporal nodes of the two great wars, to witness the details of those battles and observe the polluted realm.

However, as soon as this thought took shape, the Time River beneath his feet became even more turbulent.

Without a single mistake, a powerful aura suddenly rushed down from the source of the Time River, swiftly heading downstream.

Qin Zheng's expression turned solemn. With a thought, he communicated with the Mirror of the Azure Sky, which landed in his palm, while the Heavens and Earth Luminous Tower hovered above his head, ready to return at any moment.

Then, in the next instant—

The Time River, swept by a powerful aura, churned violently, and a majestic figure of an emperor appeared before him.

Upon seeing the Mirror of the Azure Sky in Qin Zheng's palm, the emperor's gaze flickered slightly, and the action he was about to take was quietly retracted. Then, he spoke, "Did you see a golden light fall into the river?"

Seeing that the emperor's figure held no malice, Qin Zheng's tensed heart relaxed a little, and he shook his head lightly, replying, "I've just attained the Beyond and stepped into the Time River for the first time. I didn't see any golden light."

"The Emperor's figure furrowed his brows slightly, but he did not persist in questioning Qin Zheng. Instead, he turned his gaze towards the Mirror of the Azure Sky, his eyes revealing a complex expression.

"Where did you obtain this mirror?" The Emperor asked in a deep voice.

Qin Zheng pondered briefly before replying, "I dare not refuse the gift of the Elder. However, after the Ancient Realm shattered and scattered in the Chaos Ocean, it took me considerable effort to find and reassemble it."

At this moment, he understood the identity of the Emperor before him. The other party was the first transcendent existence in the Chaos Ocean, the once-great Emperor of the Azure Sky! Therefore, the commotion at the source of the Time River was likely caused by the great battle that ensued after the Emperor's transcendence, attracting the invasion of pollution.

Upon hearing Qin Zheng's answer, the Emperor of the Azure Sky paused, remaining silent for a few breaths before nodding slightly. "I see."

He did not press for more information from Qin Zheng. After speaking, he turned around and, with a slight tilt of his body, said, "There's a great battle upstream. Don't venture there lightly."

"You've managed to step into the Time River upon reaching the Beyond. Your talent is remarkable, but don't attempt transcendence lightly, unless..." The Emperor's expression was complex.

Qin Zheng understood the implication of his words and promptly said, "Nearly two million years ago, numerous Beyond-the-Shore existences in the Chaos Ocean joined forces to transcend, collectively striking into that polluted realm. Now, they have firmly established themselves there."

"The pollution in the Chaos Ocean has also been mostly expelled."

Upon hearing this, the Emperor's complex expression momentarily froze, and he seemed both surprised and delighted. "I understand."

His eyes became resolute at this moment, as if he had confirmed something, and the somewhat ethereal aura around him completely stabilized.

Before returning to the source of the Time River, he paused and hesitated for a few breaths. Then, he spoke again, "That golden light emerged from the polluted land, and I'm unsure of its nature or purpose."

"However, I witnessed that the beings in the polluted land, upon seeing that golden light, became extremely frenzied, as if there was a great causality associated with it."

"Do as you see fit."

After speaking, the Emperor of the Azure Sky rushed towards the source of the Time River, leaving Qin Zheng's current time node.

As Qin Zheng watched the Emperor's departing figure, he respectfully spoke, "Qin Zheng, the descendant, bids farewell to the Emperor of the Azure Sky!"

His voice echoed along the river.

In the next instant, the Emperor's figure vanished from Qin Zheng's sight, and the Time River gradually calmed down.

Evidently, the great battle had already concluded. After abandoning the pursuit of the Merit Scroll, the Emperor stepped out of the Time River, returning to his own time to address the pollution invasion.

Seeing the Time River's tranquility, Qin Zheng realized that his time-traveling was likely the work of the Merit Scroll, and he decided to return to his own time node.

Just as he turned around, the Time River, which had calmed down, suddenly began to churn violently again. A powerful aura of pollution appeared, swiftly approaching his direction.

In the next moment, three figures appeared before Qin Zheng. Their cold gazes swept over him, and they demanded, "Where is the Sacred Scroll?!"

These three individuals possessed the power of the Beyond-the-Shore realm, but their auras were distorted, clearly indicating that they were Beyond-the-Shore experts corrupted by the power of curses.

Qin Zheng's mind stirred, recalling the first time the Chaos Ocean connected with the polluted land. Under the invasion of pollution, even many Beyond-the-Shore experts were affected by the curse's power.

Therefore, these three individuals before him were likely Beyond-the-Shore experts corrupted by the curse's power, transforming them into their current state.

Qin Zheng thought to himself as he shook his head, "I'm not sure what this Sacred Scroll you speak of is, but since you've come before me of your own accord, consider it your opportunity."

After speaking, he took a step forward, and the Nine Primal Seals instantly converged into a single punch, slamming into the three figures!

Having just attained the Beyond-the-Shore realm, he was still uncertain of his current strength, so this was an excellent opportunity to test his abilities against these three experts.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end