Da Xuan Martial Saint Chapter 1492 - 716: Fragment of a Shattered Spacetime (Part 1)

Chen Mu experienced a brief blurring of his vision, and as he looked down, he found himself tucked beneath a worn cotton quilt. In his arms, he cradled a small, curled-up figure—Chen Yue. At this moment, she lacked any of the majesty of a Divine Monarch Dominator; she was simply a young girl of barely ten years, shivering against the chill as she huddled in his embrace.

Waves of biting cold washed over Chen Mu as well. It felt as though every ounce of his strength had been siphoned away, returning him to the frail state of his mundane youth. This setting was painfully familiar to Chen Mu; it represented the most grueling period following his arrival in the Da Xuan World, a time when he and Chen Yue survived solely by relying on each other.

"Time changes, indeed it does."

Chen Mu perceived the shifts in his environment; this was no mere hallucination—everything was tangibly real. He had genuinely traversed through time to reach a bygone era. However, this particular space-time was severed from the future, existing as an independent entity.

"Unfortunately, I am already a Dao Venerable; this level of Power of Dao is unable to seal my consciousness."

Taking in the sight of his all-too-familiar surroundings—the destitute, crumbling shack with its naked walls, the ancient, splintered furniture, and the shivering child in his arms—Chen Mu wore a nostalgic smile and let out a quiet sigh.

The Power of the Time Dao is truly formidable, having successfully carved out a fragment of the past. Had he only reached the Divine Monarch level, his power and consciousness would have been completely suppressed, and he might have even lost his memories. He would have been trapped within this fractured history, mindlessly and innocently repeating past events, perhaps falling into a perpetual cycle of reincarnation.

But now, he had already attained the rank of a Dao Venerable.

Though his current physical form appeared limited and devoid of power, it was essentially nothing more than an avatar. His actual consciousness sat far above the firmament, spanning the Origin River like an eternal, indestructible star. Consequently, the shroud created by the Power of Time could not mask his true self or obscure his recollections.

Furthermore,

with a mere thought, he possessed the ability to violently snap these chains, obliterating this past timeline forged by the Time Dao.

"Brother..."

Chen Yue pressed herself closer into Chen Mu’s chest. Even though she was trembling from the cold, she kept her lips stubbornly tight, refusing to utter a single complaint. She did everything she could to huddle against Chen Mu, trying to share what little warmth they had.

Chen Mu was aware that the Chen Yue before him was only a fragment of history reconstructed by the Time Dao, yet he still tenderly stroked her small head, allowing a ripple of translucent energy to flow from his palm.

Crack!

A violent bolt of thunder tore across the sky, and the world shuddered for a moment as if it were on the brink of collapse. Simultaneously, a radiant rainbow light erupted from Chen Mu’s hand, surging into Chen Yue’s body.

The shivering of the small girl suddenly ceased. She looked up in shock, feeling a warm current race through her limbs, washing away the chill and filling her with a sense of limitless vitality.

At the same time,

she saw the miraculous rainbow glow shining from Chen Mu’s hand, an aura that radiated an unfathomable and majestic power.

"Brother?"

Chen Yue gazed up at Chen Mu, her expression one of confusion and bewilderment.

Chen Mu gave her head a gentle pat and rose from the bed, saying, "Though you are just a fragment of time simulated by the Time Dao, you will always be my Yue’er. Brother has other tasks to finish and cannot stay here. I am leaving this power for you. In this corner of time, you may live as you please."

As he finished speaking,

Chen Mu’s form flickered with rainbow light and dissolved like a dream, leaving the young Chen Yue dazed and uncertain. However, regardless of how fiercely the autumn wind blew or how the cold rain fell, she felt no more chill. Only a deep warmth filled her, as if a sun were burning within her chest.

While the young Chen Yue stood there, unable to grasp what had occurred, Chen Mu appeared high in the dark heavens. Standing with his hands behind his back, he looked down at the dilapidated house below and shook his head slightly:

"A shattered fragment of space-time, after all, is not an Illusion Realm."

This location was a piece of the past torn from the River of Time by the Power of the Time Dao. Everything present was authentic, yet it was completely detached from the primary timeline. Because this was an independent space-time fragment rather than an Illusion Realm, Chen Mu refrained from using his Venerable power to annihilate this world.

Nevertheless, he had no intention of staying, for time could not hold him, and he saw through every deception. Thus, everything here was ultimately meaningless—this isolated space-time fragment was little more than a prison of years.

Here,

nearly everything was a perfect reflection of the original universe.

The sole distinction was that this universe contained no Dao Venerables and would never produce one, because a Dao Venerable is already merged with the Great Dao, standing beyond the reach of the Time Dao alone.

In some sense, this fractured universe only existed because of him.

Chen Mu felt little attachment to this place, but for Chen Yue—even if she was just a shadow of the past—he still felt great affection. Thus, he granted her the protection of his Power of Dao, ensuring she would never fade in this past timeline, bestowing his blessing upon her.

If the Chen Yue of the original universe were to achieve the status of a Dao Venerable in the future, every point along her timeline would merge, including this broken piece. All versions of ’Chen Yue’ would become one, just as he was now the only version of himself in the universe, with even the Power of the Time Dao unable to hide his presence.

Chen Mu looked down at Chen Yue with fondness, then turned his gaze toward the horizon, observing the familiar Yu City with a sense of deep emotion. Suddenly, he moved forward, manifesting in a courtyard.

In the courtyard,

an elderly man clad in a straw raincoat sat motionless by a pond, a fishing rod held firmly in his hand.

"Old Master."

Chen Mu appeared silently in the garden, walking forward until he stood beside the man in the raincoat, calling out softly.

Yu Jiujiang’s grip on the rod tightened slightly. He turned to look at the unfamiliar youth who had appeared so abruptly. His expression was serious but calm as he spoke with gravity: "An honored guest has arrived, yet I failed to greet you. I hope you can forgive my lack of manners."

Chen Mu studied Yu Jiujiang intently, a reminiscent smile playing on his lips. He then sat down by the water as a fishing rod appeared in his hand from thin air. Casting his line into the pond, he joined the old man in silence.

Witnessing Chen Mu’s behavior,

Yu Jiujiang’s eyes glimmered with various thoughts, but he quickly regained his composure. He cast his line back into the water and said cheerfully, "Could it be that our esteemed guest comes from my Sect? I have been away from the Sect for many years; I never imagined someone would come to visit a decaying old man like me."

He was unable to sense Chen Mu’s level of power, but the youth's silent arrival proved his Cultivation surely exceeded his own. Chen Mu’s attitude was friendly and even familiar, leading Yu Jiujiang to conclude he must be from the Seven Profound Sect. Having served as a steward there for years, it was possible Chen Mu had known him as a disciple and, now having surpassed him, decided to visit while passing through Yu City.

Even so, he truly could not remember meeting Chen Mu, nor could he recall who he might have been within the Seven Profound Sect.

"Yes, I am indeed a Seven Mysterious Disciple."

Chen Mu smiled peacefully, saying, "The Old Master has shown me kindness in the past. Since I was passing by, it was only right to pay my respects. I hope my intrusion does not bother you."

"Hahaha, such a brilliant young talent remembers a withered old man like myself and takes the time to visit! How could I possibly mind?"

Yu Jiujiang laughed heartily at his response.

While he genuinely couldn't place Chen Mu, he knew it wasn't the right moment to ask. It was somewhat embarrassing that Chen Mu remembered him while he had no memory of the youth. Furthermore, having a talented member of the Seven Profound Sect visit him would be a great boon for the Yu Family.

Without Chen Mu having to do anything else, the mere rumor of a high-ranking young member of the Seven Profound Sect visiting him would be a massive advantage. The He Family, the Xue Family, and others would certainly be more careful around the Yu Family, fearing the consequences of any conflict for a long time to come.