Da Xuan Martial Saint Chapter 1491 - 716: A Fragment of Shattered Time and Space

Beyond the gates of Wuxiang City.

Led by Chen Mu, Chen Yue and Chen Yao soared into the Heavens Vault, enveloped in a protective glow as they departed the city under his guidance.

"The City Lord of Wuxiang City possesses power comparable to a Venerable, yet he is shackled, devoid of true liberty. Cultivation is meant to be a pursuit of freedom. Having reached his current height, he has fallen into a quagmire, losing sight of the most fundamental goal of the path."

Gazing back at the receding silhouette of Wuxiang City, Chen Yue spoke softly after a moment of reflection.

Turning to look at her, Chen Mu smiled and asked, "If you were in his position, what choice would you make?"

"I would definitely choose to begin a new life."

Chen Yue answered firmly, without the slightest hint of indecision.

To her, a cycle of reincarnation where one loses everything from their past life was not true immortality; it was merely a pathetic lingering. She would prefer to struggle through a single lifetime rather than be trapped in a stalemate, unable to advance or retreat.

Hearing her reply, Chen Mu let out a sigh and said, "For a cultivator like you who has climbed to your current stage, making such a decision is easy. However, imagine if you were born as the City Lord of Wuxiang City—without memories or any ties to a past life, standing at the very peak of the universe from birth. Would you still be willing to discard a status so close to supreme just to cast yourself back into the cycle of reincarnation?"

"This..."

This time, Chen Yue hesitated at Chen Mu’s question.

Her will had been forged through hardship, rising from obscurity alongside Chen Mu. During her journey in the Da Xuan World, she had faced numerous life-and-death trials outside of his protection, tempering her spirit. But if she had been born at the summit, looking down upon all creation without ever experiencing the grind from the bottom to the top, she might not have the resolve to sacrifice everything to start over based purely on her own merit.

"If one lacks the memories and causality of previous lives, their choices would be dictated solely by their inner self," Chen Yao remarked from the side, lost in thought.

"Exactly."

Chen Mu nodded in agreement, saying, "Everything comes down to the inner self, the true self, and instinct... Two individuals born without the baggage of past causality might choose entirely different paths. One might sacrifice everything to strive for the rank of Venerable, while the other might cling to what they have, protecting their only remaining path of cultivation. Pure instinct is the final arbiter."

Having said this,

Chen Mu paused for a moment, shifting his gaze toward the distant Wuxiang Mountain that pierced the clouds. "Actually, there is a location nearby that is perfect for tempering your inner self and true self."

"Oh?"

Surprised by this revelation, Chen Yue and Chen Yao’s eyes brightened as they looked in the direction he indicated.

Without further explanation, Chen Mu vanished in a shimmer of light. When he reappeared, he had transported Chen Yue and Chen Yao across the vast void and into the heart of Wuxiang Mountain.

Within the territory of Wuxiang City, Wuxiang Mountain is just as dreaded as the Wuxiang River. While the Wuxiang River connects to the Creation River and can erase a being’s existence, the depths of Wuxiang Mountain are filled with the Time Mist. Linked to the River of Time, this mist can swallow a person whole, causing them to lose everything they are!

While Wuxiang City holds a vast concentration of Void Dao Power and the Wuxiang River is rich in Creation Dao Power, Wuxiang Mountain is saturated with Time Dao Power. It served as an ideal training ground for the two women and a significant destination for Chen Mu, who wished to use it as a vantage point to study the mechanics of time.

"What is this? An illusory haze?"

Chen Yue and Chen Yao felt their surroundings blur as Chen Mu brought them into the mountain’s forest. Ahead of them lay a surreal fog, reminiscent of the dream-like mists found in the Fan Gu Ancient Domain's Floating Dream Realm.

With a calm expression, Chen Mu corrected them, "No, this is the Time Mist."

"The passage of time is chaotic here. A Divine Monarch who wanders in by mistake might be lost forever, submerged in the depths of history. However, you may enter and experience it under my protection."

Hearing this, Chen Yue and Chen Yao looked at each other. With Chen Mu by their side, they felt no fear and immediately stepped into the Time Mist.

Simultaneously,

Chen Mu followed behind them with his hands clasped at his back, vanishing into the Time Mist with a single stride.

Shortly after they disappeared, several figures approached the area. One of them, looking toward the mist with uncertainty, asked, "Did... did people just go inside?"

The Time Mist is one of the greatest perils of Wuxiang Mountain; entering it usually means there is no return. Since so few Divine Monarchs have ever made it out alive, most explorers and hunters in the mountain flee the moment they spot the mist.

Yet just now,

those mysterious individuals had walked into the Time Mist of their own volition.

"Perhaps they are newcomers to Wuxiang City who don't understand the danger?"

"Likely so. What a waste."

"There has been an influx of newcomers to Wuxiang City lately."

"True, it seems the external universe is nearing its end. We must also hurry. Whether we can master a complete Great Dao and ascend to the position of Venerable before the end is a matter of life and death."

...

In the depth of the dark night,

The wind howled through the gaps in the roof tiles, and a fine, needle-like rain seeped through the decaying window frames, painting silver streaks on the moisture-laden walls. The roof of the crumbling grass hut groaned under the strain, as water occasionally dripped from the rotting beams.