Outside Of Time

Outside the vast bamboo forest, a gentle breeze arose. The red bamboo swayed in the wind, and the rustling sound reverberated.

It wasn't heavenly music, but it was better than heavenly music.

The roaring in Transient Evil's mind also surged with it, becoming part of this heavenly symphony in his world.

It spread throughout his body, causing his entire form to gradually tremble, and his thoughts to rapidly dissipate.

However, the speed of dissipation wasn't fast, so he had some time to recall this journey.

Five kilometers of sand represented the desert he had gone to, fifty kilometers of marsh represented the swamp he had fled to, five hundred kilometers of graves referred to the bare mountain that looked like a tomb, and the five thousand kilometers of bamboo referred to the forest in front of him.

The ballad bore witness to his journey.

It was as though from the moment he stepped into the desert, everything about him was in the ballad the other party had woven.

This was a strange divine authority.

Its name was Story.

After Transient Evil realized this divine authority, he completely lost all his thoughts and his mind turned blank.

His gaze was also blank and dazed as he looked at the bamboo forest and the god standing in front of him.

In his sight, the other party's figure was infinitely large, as though He controlled everything and knew everything.

He seemed to have become a character in a story, staring at the creator.

He couldn't think because the thoughts of characters were all bestowed by the storyteller.

He couldn't move because the character's actions were also given by the storyteller.

In fact, he even lost the feeling of fear.

To a certain extent, this storyteller could be considered compassionate.

At that moment, the compassionate Jade Flowing Dust raised His right hand and made a gentle motion. Instantly, the sound of tearing echoed as the great sword embedded in Transient Evil's back was ripped away from his flesh.

It slowly flew up.

As disgusting flesh and blood slid down in the air, they revealed the dim bubble and broken pagoda.

"Eh, there's someone here."

As Jade Flowing Dust's lips curled into a smile and his voice sounded, Xu Qing silently stood up within the pagoda. He stepped out of the pagoda and, with a single stride through the bubble, appeared before Jade Flowing Dust.

"Greetings, Senior."

Xu Qing lowered his head.

Jade Flowing Dust's appearance wasn't within his expectations. He had considered the possibility of someone coming to save him, but no matter how he analyzed it, Jade Flowing Dust had never been a possibility.

Even though this god had cooperated and helped the Sword Holding Great Emperor before he died, He gave Xu Qing an impression of unpredictability and strangeness, both in actions and thoughts.

Joy, anger, good, and evil were all interchangeable with a thought.

"Isn't this the Sword Holder's successor?"

Jade Flowing Dust smiled faintly.

Xu Qing retracted his thoughts and bowed respectfully.

"Senior, I will remember your kindness for saving my life."

Jade Flowing Dust smiled and waved his right hand Instantly, stalks of bamboo flew over and assembled into a bamboo table in front of him, upon which he placed five teacups.

A stove also appeared out of thin air beside it, with a worn-out teapot on it being heated by flames.

The teapot contained water that began to boil, and then five streams of water flew out, each landing in one of the five teacups. The aroma immediately spread, filling the air.

After doing this, Jade Flowing Dust sat cross-legged and took a sip of the teacup in front of him.

"Are you saying you will remember with your current divinity, or with the fading humanity you are about to lose?"

Xu Qing thought about it and took out a blank bamboo slip from his storage bag. He then carved six words on it.

Jade Flowing Dust, done great favor.

Xu Qing placed the jade slip back in his storage bag and looked at Jade Flowing Dust.

"Remember it with this."

Jade Flowing Dust raised an eyebrow, revealing a playful expression, and carefully scrutinized Xu Qing for a few moments.

"Interesting. Well then, sit down and have some tea."

Xu Qing didn't hesitate at all. He sat at the side and picked up a teacup.

The scalding tea flowed down his throat and exploded within him, forming a wave of heat that instantly spread throughout his entire body. It surged into his mind, churning up all of Xu Qing's memories from childhood to the present.

These memories were like images that surfaced in Xu Qing's mind.

He saw Peerless City, the misery when he was young, the silence after the first killing, Grandmaster Bai's death, the relations in the Seven Blood Eyes, the distortion when he faced Purple Green, the figures of the old Palace Master, Kong Liangxiu, and the Sword Holding Great Emperor…

He also saw Zi Xuan, Ling'er, and Eldest Senior Brother…

However, these experiences that belonged to him and all these scenes were indescribably unfamiliar now. It was as though he was looking at the life of someone else.

The joy and sorrow inside couldn't affect his heart at this moment.

At the next instant, under the heat of the tea, the colors of these memories became increasingly vibrant. The emotions of joy, anger, and sorrow that jumped out of them became increasingly obvious.

In the end, they were magnified endlessly, rumbling in his mind.

Boom!

Xu Qing's body trembled. He could sense joy.

Boom!

Xu Qing's heart stirred. He felt horror, followed by anger, fear, and sadness…

All kinds of human emotions and desires returned at this instant.

The world became different in his eyes.

There was more color.

Xu Qing abruptly raised his head. His breathing was hurried and his expression wasn't as calm as before. He could sense that the humanity he had no choice but to suppress was rising.

It reached a balance with the divinity that he had deliberately magnified.

As a result, his killing intent toward Transient Evil erupted uncontrollably, causing Xu Qing to turn his head and look at the dazed Transient Evil at the side. The killing intent in his eyes was intense.

However, very soon, he took a deep breath and retracted his gaze. He looked at Jade Flowing Dust in front of him and stood up to cup his fists. He then bowed again.

"Thank you, Senior!"

Jade Flowing Dust took a sip of tea and calmly spoke.

"There's no need to thank me. The main reason I'm here is because I'm curious."

Xu Qing hesitated as thoughts spun in his mind. He couldn't figure out what the other party was curious about.

"I'm curious about the condition of the person formed from Desolate's flesh and blood. This has never happened before you."

Jade Flowing Dust looked at Xu Qing.

"That's why I came."

"In fact, even if I hadn't come, the person to save you would have arrived soon."

"So, you don't have to thank me. I don't want to have karma with you."

Xu Qing glanced at the three additional cups on the bamboo table other than his and Jade Flowing Dust's.

"However, speaking of which, what happened to you this time is quite interesting…"

Jade Flowing Dust smiled and waved his hand at the dazed Transient Evil.

Transient Evil shook and his perception recovered. His body also regained mobility. His pupils contracted as fear returned.

After doing this, Jade Flowing Dust continued unhurriedly.

"Although his scissors is not bad… if he can't escape my eyes, how can he escape the eyes of that Empress of your human race? Moreover, your master didn't do anything from the start."

"You might not know… but during the few days you disappeared, the human race and Flame Moon jointly issued a decree. The effect was extremely powerful, achieving a perfect collaboration that unified the will of the Eastern Wanggu."

"It intimidated the other regions and the holy lands that descended on your Eastern Region."

"At the same time, using the search for you as a pretext, they rationally arranged military forces and strategic deployments. Some of these arrangements… even I cannot fully discern."

Jade Flowing Dust praised.

Xu Qing could hear the hidden meaning in Jade Flowing Dust's words and sighed.

As for Transient Evil, when he heard this, his breathing clearly became even more hurried.

"I think the next move of the Empress should be… using your incident as a pretext, and to prevent similar occurrences, She will rationally and forcefully disperse all the holy lands in the Eastern Region after demonstrating Her deterrence."

"With such a method, She only needs to pay a small price to purge the Eastern Region. No wonder the Sword Holder chose to fulfill Her wish."

Jade Flowing Dust narrowed His eyes and looked at Xu Qing.

"It's quite tough on you. All these hardships… it turns out gods are indeed heartless. So pitiful, so pitiful."

Xu Qing helplessly looked at Jade Flowing Dust.

"Senior's words have a profound meaning…"

When Jade Flowing Dust heard this, he smiled happily. He was deliberately trying to sow discord for no other reason than fun.

However, very soon, He couldn't smile anymore.

Xu Qing spoke politely.

"But, Senior, my perspective isn't that narrow… If things are really as you say, then I believe even more that my master has been paying attention to everything."

"Is it possible that Senior's appearance was also within my master's expectations?"

Xu Qing looked at Jade Flowing Dust and voiced softly.

Jade Flowing Dust blinked. Xu Qing's words made Him feel that it wasn't that interesting anymore. Hence, He fell into deep thought.

At this moment, there was madness in Transient Evil's eyes. Taking advantage of this opportunity, his body suddenly rumbled and his entire cultivation base erupted. He didn't care about the price, didn't care about expending his Dao blood, and didn't care about anything else as he retreated at full speed.

The Great Emperor's scissors above his head suddenly materialized and swiftly cut toward him.

With a cracking sound, it seemed to cut through the void.

Transient Evil suddenly disappeared.

Xu Qing coldly looked over. Jade Flowing Dust didn't even turn around as He calmly spoke.

"Kid, let me tell you a story."

"In the story, there's a cultivator called Transient Evil. He walked through five kilometers of sand, fifty kilometers of marsh, five hundred kilometers of graves, finally arriving at the forest of five thousand kilometers of bamboos. Then he got lost, but managed to teleport back by luck. In the end, to show his gratitude, he decided to explode and bloom like a flower. After that, he drank a cup of tea."

Just as Jade Flowing Dust finished speaking, the void in front of him where Transient Evil had disappeared earlier distorted. The figure that had become even weaker and was about to collapse materialized again.

The moment he appeared, Transient Evil gazed around at the scene and people who seemed unchanged from when he had left a month ago. His expression grew even more horrified, and the terror in his eyes surged once more.

A month ago, after he severed the karma here, he didn't hesitate to use the source of the scissors in exchange for teleportation.

Finally, he escaped from this place. In the next month, he experienced many life-and-death situations and passed through countless areas until… he returned here.

At that moment, as he trembled, he gazed at Jade Flowing Dust and without hesitation, chose to self-destruct.

This was the only way he could think of to escape now.

However, at the next instant, when he woke up, the scene in front of him was still not the scene he had imagined. He was still looking at the bamboo forest, Xu Qing, and Jade Flowing Dust.

He didn't wake up at the predetermined location but here.

"Have some tea," Jade Flowing Dust uttered calmly.

Transient Evil stared blankly at the teacup in front of him. In despair, he trembled as he picked it up and drank it in one gulp.

At the same time, the distant horizon suddenly turned gray, as if transforming into sludge. As it spread in all directions, a procession made up of countless clay figures, carrying an altar, marched toward them.

In the procession, Erniu had an excited expression that was filled with joy as he waved at Xu Qing.

"Little Qing, Eldest Senior Brother is here!"