"Don't the tens of thousands of Celestial Hall disciples that perished because of you deserve an explanation?
Don't the billion of lives that perished in the Great Desolation War triggered by your Infernal Nuns' demonic summons deserve an explanation?
Even the wife that you claim to treasure died at the Taiyang clan's hands! Her clan wasn't spared either! When you meet again, what will you tell her? 'A'Lin, I'm sorry for your brutal death, but fate is irresistible. Let's just forget about it and move on with our lives?' Rubbish! Ten-thousand years spent across the River of Time, but nothing to show for it! Qiu Meng, you feckless son of a bitch! I have more determination in my toe-nail than you've accumulated in your lifetime!
What is wrong with wanting to dominate all? It is because the Eternal Night Monarch could dominate us that my clan is gone! Because Taiyang Yuan could dominate you, you've been reduced to a worm! But above them, the Gods of Heaven and the Devils in Hell still reign! Why should we not crave the summit when life under the laws imposed by our betters is so unbearable! Eunuch in body and eunuch in spirit, you've surrendered to fate, capitulated before oppression, and deserve no second chance!
If I can hijack your destiny, I will stop at nothing to get what I want! Qiu Meng, GIVE ME YOUR SOUL!" As ancestor and junior stood trapped in the Qiu body, Qiu Chen's voice barrelled through Qiu Meng's soul, shaking his beliefs.
Indeed, the Eunuch Immortal had capitulated. Perhaps at first, the injustice of his death filled his heart with seething hatred, but after going back and forth through the past, present and myriad futures, Qiu Meng learned hopelessness. After Taiyang Yuan, would he challenge Yanglong?
After Hengye Zhen, would he challenge Yongye? If he became the Demon Monarch, could he avoid the manipulations of Hell and the Infernal Ancestors?
Hengye Wuxin, or Qingxin as the world now knew him as, cultivated to the peak of the Great Principle in a mortal realm, fused Divine and Holy Paths, but was still played the fool for a lifetime.
How to fight? What to fight with? What cultivation method or treasure could give him an edge against entities that ruled the elements, emotions and desires? Not being able to see his own future filled Qiu Meng's heart with uncertainty—making the fear of the unknown take root in his soul. Because of this fear, he delayed his rebirth, unwittingly causing the demise of the loyal Qiu clan.
"Free from the trappings of Heaven and Hell, I ascend past the bitter sea, unfettered by truth and falsehood." Closing his eyes, Qiu Meng chanted a Lianist mantra. Golden light surged from his soul, with lotuses blooming at his left and right. The light congealed into a sheen of Holy Force, repelling Qiu Chen's relentless assault.
Outside, the Qiu body quietly drifted above the River of Time, but inside, thunderous clashes succeeded one another, with Qiu Chen slamming into the sheen of Holy Force like a berserker driven by an insatiable thirst for murder.
"No! NO! It's not fair, not right! Why do you have it all? I refuse to give up! I will worm my way in, seize my opportunity and transcend my destiny!" Qiu Chen roared at the holy barrier, the Evil Qi powering him rose once more. Cracks formed on Qiu Meng's barrier, enabling the foul energies to worm through the tiny gaps.
Bit by bit, the demonic infestation took root in Qiu Meng's soul. Qiu Chen pressed on, Lianist runes flew out of Qiu Meng's mouth, battling the demonic influence and Heaven's tricks concealed underneath it all.
'If I defeat Qiu Chen, am I right to back off? If I lose, is he right to challenge this all-transcendent order? Applying my knowledge of the past and future will create new variants that I cannot predict. A'Lin…what should I do?' Qiu Meng's hands flashed in a succession of mudras. The laws of space and time fluctuated around him, pairing with the holy force to resist Qiu Chen's charge.
"AAAAAAARGH!" One energy blast spread across the River of Time, bringing the confrontation to an end. Subsequently, the Qiu body sank into the River of Time, its eyes flashing as it let the Present drag it towards its chosen reincarnation spot.
…
Meanwhile, in his over-the-top carriage, Xinzi watched the outside scenery, wondering how Qiu Meng would impact his plans. Xinzi didn't know what form Qiu Meng would take. After all, for someone who drifted through the past, present and myriad futures, finding ways to change his appearance shouldn't be a monumental task.
In his Xinzi-body, he'd have to rely on the Heart-Shifter capabilities, but Qiu Meng having seen myriad futures, not only did Qiu Meng know Hengye Zhen, but he was likely aware of his connection to Xinzi as well. Although Qiu Meng's appearance would create new future variants, this advantage put him in a strong position.
Yongye wanted the Ancient Spirit Lineage, but she wasn't the only one.
"How do you do it?" Xiao Hu broke the silence, pulling Xinzi out of his trance.
"Do what?" He asked without shifting his gaze towards her. Shimmering whales leaped out of the seas below, dancing in a mesmerizing rhythm that made even the seas' great predators pause to appreciate the spectacle—before diving in and tearing them all to shreds.
The Endless Sea was a beautiful place. So beautiful in fact that Xinzi often forgot that it gathered the most brutal cultivators and species of the Great Desolation world. So brutal in fact that they made the barbarians of the Northern Continent and Mysterious Beasts of the West look like teddy bears.
"How can you face the likes of Guang Fanghu, Zi Yao and Lord Hanxing like a junior, when your true shell could crush them all with a finger snap?"
"You're taking the problem in reverse. In my Xinzi-body, they're stronger than me. What am I supposed to do? Say 'Humph, wait until I get back to my true shell, and I will make you all pay for your insubordination?' That's silly, and unless I want to expose my background, brings me no benefit."
"Oh…what about the Lord-Regent? Is she stronger than you? Otherwise, why would you let her act in the way that she does?" Following the initial fears, Xiao Hu's curiosity took over, and as the questions rolled out, her body loosened up.
"You're asking dangerous questions. In what way does she act? What has Baxian told you?"
"Huh…" Realizing that she'd gotten too comfortable, Xiao Hu panicked again. Indeed, the Thousand-Faced Shadow alone should make her pick every word with extreme care. In fact, staying silent was the preferable move.
"Never mind. Yuemi might not be stronger, but if she wants to, she can suppress me. In this body, I cultivate the 100 Shackles of the God-Emperor—a supreme technique that enables me to cultivate blood and qi simultaneously. At the same time, I can use it to break some of my shackles and unleash my latent Divine Power.
However, there's a catch. It's a paired technique, with the other side being the 100 Virtues of the Queen-Mother. Whoever cultivates that technique can suppress my cultivation base as she pleases. Yuemi is one of the two that cultivate it. And should I do something that goes against my Divine Mother's will, Yuemi can use it to seal my cultivation and send me back to Heaven," Xinzi said in a calm, straightforward tone. Xiao Hu, however, failed to maintain her cool, and as her eyes stretched, she couldn't help but stare at the Thousand-Faced Shadow. One of the faces turned towards her, almost making her heart stop from sheer terror.
"Also, you underestimate this Hengye branch. Thanks to Hengye Wuxin, they've gotten many benefits from the main clan and are much stronger than the Taiyang clan. An Hengye-Wuxin Puppet with a strength close to the original's peak can manifest whenever Yuemi wishes it to. I am not its match. If not for this, you think that after Hengye Wuxin's disappearance, Taiyang Yuan wouldn't have jumped on the opportunity to make the Eternal Night Dynasty pay back for all the humiliation they've made him suffer? With that said, the puppet cannot attack me," Xinzi said, and realizing that she'd underestimated the depth of the Hengye clan, Xiao Hu held her tongue, worried that with the wrong word, she'd find herself at the chopping block.
News that the ancient Qiu clan was destroyed, overnight, by a new God-Monarch shook the Endless Sea, with tales of the battle and Red-Tongued Devil's execution spreading all the way to the Central Domain's spies. Some speculated that the new monarch was a God descended from Heaven. Others, that he was a Divine Spirit that had yet to cross the Divine Consecration Ladder. Conflicting information gave birth to new rumors—and from one superior to the next, the news climbed the Central Domain's hierarchy, at last reaching its lord, the August Divinity, Taiyang Yuan.
Faced with the terrible news, the solar deity took a practical approach:
"Our Divine Ancestor doesn't favor us. The Hengye clan's rise is irresistible. From now on, cooperating to complete the Ancestral Task will be our top priority. The Hengye clan will receive an invitation to the next Immortal Ascension Grand Prix.. As a show of goodwill, send Jingzhao to deliver the invitation."
