Chapter 2061: Seizing Time

With a ripping sound, the heavily blood-stained River of Reincarnation, having just fractured, was entirely absorbed by Sheng Xin's Blood Fiend power. Meanwhile, the shattered Life Rune and the fragmented River of Life were forcibly swallowed by Jin Ren before they could even be reabsorbed by the Heavenly Dao.

With these as leverage, the soul-snatching possession concluded. Sheng Xin materialized in their Blood Fiend state, the River of Reincarnation appearing beneath their feet; though not fully digested, they had re-manifested a physical body. Surprisingly, Jin Ren also succeeded for once, avoiding annihilation by their true self and pushing the Way of Life to its extreme, conjuring a River of Life that even their true self lacked.

"Splendid!"

A feeling of "I have transcended" filled Jin Ren with unparalleled elation. Alas, everything their true self controlled, they now knew, and the insights into the Great Dao they had gained, their true self had also absorbed. While they were still fighting, that unconscionable entity must have already begun meditating, assimilating the insights into life.

It wasn't over yet! The division continued!

The living Ancestor of Medicine had calculated and suppressed more than one Ancestral God to death. The moment their Life Rune exploded, the Dual Rivers of the Great Dao fractured, and the lament of a falling Dao resounded, those who had been suppressed were able to emerge.

"Rest in peace, A-Yao..."

"You will live forever in my heart."

In a place no one noticed, Bei Huai sighed softly. While Sheng Xin and Xu Xiaoshou were dividing the Dual Rivers of the Great Dao, Bei Huai slipped away in another direction. They left empty-handed! To avoid detection, Bei Huai didn't even touch a shred of the Ancestor of Medicine's power. The only thing they took was the Grand World Sophora, the ancestral tree that was inherently theirs, bound to them by countless ties, yet had been used by the Ancestor of Medicine to restrict them.

"Whoosh..."

As the Ancestor of Medicine exploded into streams of light, Bei Huai also fragmented into countless forms, blending within, subtly dispersing their life force into myriad parts, merging them into various locations across the Sacred God Continent.

"Heh, alive?"

"Woohoo, we're awake, we're awake."

"La la la, la la la la, I'm a carefree little Bei Huai..."

Across the Five Domains, life burst forth vibrantly, nourishing countless radishes, potatoes, and morning glories, an abundance of diverse life forms. Every one of these new life forms bore the face of little Bei Huai, their expressions remarkably vivid. They seemed to know nothing of death, nor were they discouraged by having been slain in the Lamenting Emperor Realm. Instead, they only felt joy and exuberance upon their resurgence, a pure happiness from the vigorous life force, utterly devoid of worries.

"Bei Huai?"

Jin Ren's brow furrowed; they had clearly noticed these vibrant radishes. However, between dealing with Bei Huai and absorbing the River of Life, they chose the latter. After all, if detained by Bei Huai, they would fall behind Sheng Xin. It was possible that Bei Huai and the River of Life would ultimately be forcefully seized by Sheng Xin.

Bei Huai seemed to have anticipated this outcome. When two fight, a third profits. As long as they weren't too excessive, Sheng Xin and Xu Xiaoshou would be too preoccupied to concern themselves with their struggle for survival in the short term. Among the scattered streams of light, one, by sheer coincidence, shot into the only thing on the Sacred God Continent that had maintained its original form amidst the divine war:

The Tree of Memory!

The towering Tree of Memory, nourished by Dao Qiongcang's immense power from the Fallen World Heavenly Realm, had already elevated the Dao Laws of the New Heavenly Realm to a substantial degree. Moreover, it had merged with the New Heavenly Realm. Its existence was akin to Kong Yuhen's relationship with the Realm of Time; they were inseparable. Unless the Sacred God Continent could be utterly shattered with a single punch, the Tree of Memory could not be destroyed.

What was the basis for this? This was the most powerful basis!

Bei Huai naturally discerned this point and also knew that having departed from Shennong's Hundred Herbs, if they couldn't immediately find something substantial to rely on, they would face certain death once Sheng Xin and Xu Xiaoshou turned their attention back. Therefore, they set their sights on the Tree of Memory.

The Tree of Memory, however, had been nurtured by Dao Qiongcang. Although its predecessor was a Seed of Life, it now had little connection to the Way of Life or the Way of Reincarnation. It could be said that this tree was Dao Qiongcang's foundation. As long as someone wanted the New Heavenly Realm to survive, Dao Qiongcang would likely be granted a secondary position after the divine war, whether by Sheng Xin or Xu Xiaoshou. So, would Dao Qiongcang readily yield it? The answer was clearly no.

"Grand World Sophora, sacrifice!"

Bei Huai was even less likely to personally inhabit the Tree of Memory, as that would only lead to the same fate as Sui Yin. Therefore, they still used the Ghost Beast Parasitic Tree, with the Grand World Sophora as the Ghost Beast and the Tree of Memory as the host. Once this fusion of the ancestral tree and the world succeeded, from then on, if the host remained, the Ghost Beast would live. And as long as the Grand World Sophora persisted, Bei Huai could continuously draw power from the Tree of Memory. As long as Dao Qiongcang did not fall, they could endlessly siphon their energy and barely survive!

Rustle!

The Tree of Memory trembled slightly, its canopy swaying. The parasitic changes occurring internally were completely undetectable from the outside.

"What a pity..."

Dao Qiongcang, observing from behind the memories, smiled faintly. Someone beneath the bed might feel the tremors on it, but how could they see that beside the bed, another person had been floating and observing the entire time?

"You have fallen into my trap."

Dao Qiongcang's choice, like Bei Huai's, was not to covet the River of Reincarnation or the River of Life from Shennong's Hundred Herbs, which Sheng Xin and Xu Xiaoshou had set their sights on. Because they were not worthy. But this by no means indicated that Dao Qiongcang lacked ambition. For what they coveted was Bei Huai, and more importantly, the Dual Rivers of the Great Dao—Life and Reincarnation—that could be cultivated within Bei Huai if sufficient energy was provided!

"They belong to them."

"But you are mine alone!"

Black Remembrance Marks silently spread across the entire Sacred God Continent, encompassing every radish, every potato, and every morning glory scattered throughout the Five Domains.

"Grand Cognition Art!"

Dao Qiongcang struck fiercely, directly overwhelming every one of Bei Huai's fragmented forms with a deluge of trash memories. Even the will of the Grand World Sophora within the Tree of Memory was subjected to an intense impact at that moment.

"Ugh, ugh..."

"Mmm, mmm, mmm..."

"No, don't, it hurts so much, ahhh..."

The little Bei Huais everywhere let out agonizing cries, their human faces rolling back their eyes, their consciousnesses utterly crumbling. Meanwhile, the will of the Grand World Sophora within the Tree of Memory instantly ceased its parasitic activity.

The next instant, Dao Qiongcang appeared, raising a sleeve.

"Grand Imprisonment Art!"

The Tree of Memory, which had remained motionless throughout the divine war, as if possessing no combat ability beyond elevating the Dao Laws for the New Heavenly Realm, now revealed its formidable true nature for the first time. Its canopy rapidly spread downwards, its branches transforming into tentacles that pierced back into its own body, like a woodpecker pecking out diseased insects from a tree trunk.

"Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle..."

Peck after peck, each time a branch extended and recoiled, it would extract a bundle of the Grand World Sophora's trunk, hoisting it up. Millions of pecks were grotesquely completed in the blink of an eye. The massive ancestral tree, Grand World Sophora, was literally pecked apart into fragmented pieces, which were then imprisoned by the Tree of Memory.

"What?!"

Above the Five Domains, a cry of astonishment rang out, followed by an enraged, jealous roar: "Dao! Qiong! Cang!"

It was useless. Childish friendships were as fragile as paper in the face of the struggle for the Great Dao. Dao Qiongcang either didn't act, or when they did, they gave no quarter. With a thought, the Tree of Memory moved as if an extension of their arm.

"Seal!"

The fragments of the Grand World Sophora were forcefully mashed together, forming a strange mass resembling both wood and a tumor.

"Grand Stripping Art!"

Dao Qiongcang raised a hand and drew in, directly stripping away the faint will of Bei Huai from the Grand World Sophora. There was no need for verification. Based solely on conjecture, Dao Qiongcang was fifty percent certain. Bei Huai had no escape; the Tree of Memory was their last chance. Therefore, the scattered little Bei Huais were inconsequential. The Bei Huai will within the Grand World Sophora, though perhaps weak, was undoubtedly their primary will.

"Resist, you have three breaths."

Starlight scattered. The stripped-away Bei Huai will from the Grand World Sophora, as Dao Qiongcang's suction force intensified, gradually drifted towards Zero. From afar, Sheng Xin glanced over but remained silent, still pouring all their effort into devouring the River of Reincarnation. Seeing this, Jin Ren adopted the strategy of 'if the enemy doesn't move, I don't move,' rapidly digesting the River of Life and allowing Dao Qiongcang to act.

"Three..."

The Bei Huai will was on the verge of collapse, as if it could dissipate with a mere gust of wind.

"Two..."

The Bei Huai will dimmed, seemingly having given up the struggle, for this was merely one insignificant part of its myriad Bei Huai avatars.

"One!"

Dao Qiongcang, controlling Zero, suddenly increased the drawing force. Just as the Bei Huai will was about to be seized, it suddenly collapsed at that moment, erupting with unparalleled destructive power.

"Explode!"

It was a self-detonation! With a rumble, the Ancestral God's consciousness self-destructed. The force hadn't even dispersed outwards before the surrounding space completely shattered. Inside Zero, Dao Qiongcang's lips curved upwards. At that instant, their judgment that this was Bei Huai's primary consciousness increased from fifty percent certainty to a hundred percent.

"If you willingly accept death, perhaps you won't truly die."

"But if you still struggle, failure is guaranteed!"

The thousand-zhang Zero abruptly sprang up, completely fearless of the Ancestral God's consciousness self-detonation. Upon approaching, it utilized the properties of the Fallen World Heavenly Crystal to fully absorb the explosive energy that had not yet spread. The Bei Huai will swelled dramatically but then, like a deflating balloon, its self-detonation abruptly ceased, as if the process had been interrupted.

"Wuu..."

The entire world fell silent. Only the low sobs of the Dao remained in various places. It was not the fall of an Ancestral God, but Bei Huai's inherent bloodline ability.

"Sorrowful Ancestral God, go weep within my Divine Court!"

Dao Qiongcang's Black Remembrance Mark power swept forth, forcefully pulling Bei Huai's primary consciousness into their Divine Court, casting it into the Sea of Memories, and suppressing it on the spot.

"No—"

A shrill wail faded away with the wind. Beneath the Heavenly Curtain of Transmission in the Apricot Realm, the observers hadn't even had time to comprehend what had happened. Had Bei Huai emerged? Had Bei Huai vanished again? Were they dead? Or what?

"Another one suppressed..."

Jin Ren's peripheral vision caught this scene, allowing them to grasp the general situation. After all, they knew how Dao Qiongcang had previously subdued Bai Zhou, the palace master of the Xuyue Gray Palace. Their previous incarnation had even entered the Black Remembrance Marks. One could imagine the fate of Bei Huai, who was just a half-step away from the Sea of Life and the Sea of Reincarnation but lacked energy support, under the suppression of a Zero-level Sea of Memories. Unless Dao Qiongcang made a mistake, there would only be one outcome: eternal subjugation!

"Good!" Sheng Xin suddenly spoke out, "What a Xu Xiaoshou, what a Dao Qiongcang!"

Everyone's attention was drawn. They saw Sheng Xin's Blood Fiend power surging again over the River of Reincarnation, having halted their digestion of the Great Dao. Their power continued to climb, as if preparing for a massive surge.

"The Divine Court of Memory possesses the power of 'eternal life'?"

"So, all the cultivators in the Apricot Realm's reception cities, whom this Ancestor decreed to die, have all entered your Divine Court?"

Sheng Xin's cold gaze swept over. With just a distant eye contact, the Fallen World Heavenly Crystal on Zero seemed to change, as if its properties were failing, on the verge of being corrupted into common stone.

"I wouldn't dare." Dao Qiongcang gave an equivocal reply. Having captured Bei Huai, they had no desire to confront Sheng Xin. At this moment, they wished to disappear into the crowd and diligently cultivate Bei Huai into the strongest Heavenly Secret Puppet, striving to gain more leverage before the battle between Xu Xiaoshou and Sheng Xin concluded.

Sheng Xin's tone sharpened, "Since that is the case, this Ancestor will give you a chance. Whether this Apricot Realm falls or remains, whether these cultivators live or die, depends on your abilities!"

No sooner had the words fallen than Sheng Xin conjured a hand seal: "Blood Fiend Calamity!" Their Blood Fiend power and Arcane Star Radiance surged simultaneously, and then... they fled without a backward glance!

"They... they ran?"

Even the Apricot Realm observers were dumbfounded. Sheng Xin actually chose to flee—how absurd was that? They had just uttered such grand words and unleashed the Blood Fiend Calamity; shouldn't they have returned to the Apricot Realm, used it as a base to start a war, and forced Master Shou to comply?

"Spirit Immolation Forbidden Escape!" Sui Yin Baby exclaimed resolutely from the Sovereign Extreme Slice space. "Sheng Xin has fled, and moreover..." Their middle head stared at Sheng Xin's vanishing afterimage, filled with astonishment. Their right head turned towards the temporal realm passage, for Sheng Xin's escape route was precisely the Realm of Time! Their left head, however, twisted to look at the Apricot Realm, for as Sheng Xin departed, immense Blood Fiend power suddenly surged from the Apricot Realm's heavens and earth, and from the bodies of the various cultivators!

"Ahhh—"

The moment the Blood Fiend power manifested, agonizing screams erupted from the various reception cities. Even Xu Xiaoshou found it difficult to withstand the backlash of billions of years of accumulated destiny; how could ordinary cultivators possibly endure it? Immediately, everyone's bodies began to liquefy into blood, on the verge of perishing.

"No!" Xu Xiaoshou's heart tightened. Logically, with Sheng Xin's Blood Fiend power unleashed, it wouldn't have been an exaggeration for the Apricot Realm cultivators to be instantly annihilated. But looking now, the cultivators in the various reception cities were dying extremely slowly. The Blood Fiend power was potent, but all those afflicted began to dissolve from their fingernails, then their fingers, wrists, arms... From life to death, a careful calculation suggested they would likely endure half an hour of agony before truly perishing.

"Torture?"

"No, not torture!"

"This is to force me back to the Apricot Realm to stop the Blood Fiend Calamity, while they escape the battlefield alone..."

No, that's not right either! There were many directions to flee the battlefield, so why choose the Realm of Time specifically?

"Xu Xiaoshou!"

Just then, the Spirit Resonance Art vibrated, and Dao Qiongcang's voice transmitted: "The Blood Fiend Calamity is too immense. Although my Divine Court is not newly established, it certainly doesn't possess billions of years of accumulation like the Late Dao Heavenly Kingdom."

"If I forcibly absorb everyone in the Apricot Realm, Sheng Xin will surely infiltrate. It's possible they could even use the Blood Fiend power to influence me through the Black Remembrance Marks, and then..."

"Possess?" Xu Xiaoshou's brow furrowed in a cold expression.

"Precisely. They absolutely covet the power of my Black Remembrance Marks, not to mention that I've just captured Bei Huai."

"So what you're saying is, you can't handle this, and I have to go back to the Apricot Realm and clean up your mess myself?" Xu Xiaoshou's words were icy.

Beep, beep, beep! Zero immediately sounded an alarm. Upon hearing this, sweat dripped from Dao Qiongcang's forehead. It was evident that while their method of seizing Bei Huai amidst the chaos was flawless and natural, it had also provoked the jealousy of some petty individuals.

"Of course not!" Dao Qiongcang instantly denied it, offering a more refined assessment and solution: "Leave the Apricot Realm to me. You don't need to worry about the Blood Fiend Calamity, nor about the rear of the battlefield."

"We are allies. I make a military pledge: if I can't handle such a minor matter, I'll bring you my head!"

After a pause, Dao Qiongcang's voice became urgent, daring not to delay: "Also, Xu Xiaoshou, Sheng Xin went to the Realm of Time!"

"Firstly, the flow of time in the Realm of Time differs from that on the Sacred God Continent. By entering it, they already have a basis for digesting the River of the Great Dao faster than you."

"Secondly, the Realm of Time connects to the unknown. If Sheng Xin successfully escapes, it's not the thief's taking that's feared, but their constant coveting. From now on, neither you nor I will ever find peace."

"Thirdly, and this is what concerns me most: Sheng Xin might not encounter Ba Zun'an in the Realm of Time, but if they wish to, they can absolutely find Kong Yuhen!"

These words struck Xu Xiaoshou like a bolt from the blue, jolting him awake. The Realm of Time, Kong Yuhen, the Ancestor of Time... If the River of Space-Time, which unifies time and space, were to be seized, wouldn't Sheng Xin's combat power geometrically skyrocket beyond its current level? It was possible that by utilizing the unique properties of the Way of Space-Time, they could even break free from the shackles of the Blood Fiend Reverse Fate Art. Furthermore, by dividing space-time to separate Xu Xiaoshou and Dao Qiongcang and defeat them one by one, they could even return to the past and find Ba Zun'an before his Zeroing!

Hiss...

A chill, like being targeted by a venomous snake, suddenly surged within him. He had thought victory was assured, but Sheng Xin's sudden maneuver brought crisis once more.

"So, Kong Yuhen is Sheng Xin's true confidence and objective for daring to sacrifice billions of years of destiny?"

Would Sheng Xin attempt possession? He didn't even need to think; the demand that the Demon Ancestor had made during an equal exchange, when Xu Xiaoshou traversed the River of Time, instantly resurfaced in his mind:

"You, then, are responsible for collecting all instances of Kong Yuhen along the River of Time, and after confirming no omissions, deliver them all to this Ancestor."