Da Xuan Martial Saint Chapter 1517 - 728: Comprehending Time!_2

Right now, Chen Mu kept channeling his Power of Time to connect with it, following the timeline to pinpoint the exact time node holding the core of this Great Dao Wondrous Object. Once he located the position of its primary form, he could use the Power of the Dao to overpower it forcefully and pull it into the present time node.

"Almost there..."

Chen Mu stayed alert to his surroundings too, aware that Wutian Venerable and his allies were pouring everything into holding back the foes. But such a defense wouldn't hold for long—maybe only a brief instant—so he had to seize it fast, or else the incoming Dao Venerables would swarm in, strike at him, and disrupt his claim.

Even though he commanded both Void and Creation Daos at this point, his grasp on the Time Dao remained incomplete, still in the midst of deep study without total control. That's why, despite wielding two Daos' might, he couldn't just yank this Time Wondrous Object away with brute force; instead, he had to patiently track down the time node of its true essence.

That was the tricky nature of the Time Dao—no node found meant all that power sat useless.

Still,

Chen Mu's insight into the Time Dao stood out as remarkable. Thanks to the system panel's help, he hovered right on the edge of ascending to Time Venerable status, needing only a final push to fully unlock the Time Dao. His knowledge surpassed that of fellow Dao Venerables.

At last, right when a Dao Venerable smashed past the barrier set by Beast Divine Venerable and the rest, launching a distant sword strike that ripped through time and space, dissolving the surrounding Primordial Power,

A spark ignited in Chen Mu's eyes!

Deep within his gaze, the complete outline of that Time Wondrous Object mirrored back; he'd followed the time threads and zeroed in on the time node of its core!

"Suppress!"

With the node of this Great Dao Wondrous Object pinpointed, the rest became straightforward. After all, a Great Dao Wondrous Object was merely an artifact, lacking the awareness of a Dao Venerable and unable to summon the Time Dao's total might. Chen Mu just willed it, directing the Power of the Dao to pin it down completely and drag it to the now.

In a flash, right at the present node, the gourd-like Time Wondrous Object materialized in Chen Mu's grip with a shimmer. The Light of Time inside rushed inward, and soon after, this treasure faded away entirely from his palm!

"Excellent!"

"We've done it!"

Witnessing Chen Mu claim the Time Wondrous Object without a hitch, Wutian Venerable and Beast Divine Venerable both lit up with joy.

Snatching the Time Wondrous Object in a split second was no simple feat; they'd feared Chen Mu might run out of time. Yet, to their surprise, he wrapped it up with astonishing quickness, wrapping up the deed before anyone else could react.

"Silent Annihilation!"

Now that he'd secured the Time Wondrous Object, Chen Mu's eyes hardened with chill. Calmly, he dodged aside, and as his right hand clenched, the intangible void warped into something tangible, like gripping a colossal blade linking worlds, which he slashed ahead through the emptiness.

Suddenly, a slash of light that wiped out the cosmos erupted, surging with Void Force as it swept out, smashing into a descending ray of Creation Sword Light just in time. The clashing Great Dao forces raged on, endlessly destroying one another.

Vaguely,

visions of the Void River and Creation River projections even appeared, slamming and grinding against each other nonstop.

Boom!!!

In the end, every trace of light burst apart.

Nine Swords Venerable's expression soured as he stared into the emptiness before him, where Chen Mu's figure had vanished completely.

In that instant, with a mere blink, Chen Mu had evaded the surrounding trap, breaking free from the battlefield's heart and reaching the outer rim, right at the boundless whirlpool's border.

As a Void Venerable, no Dao Venerable wielding void could halt him unless they acted, or if the area crushed void power heavily; even seven or eight Creation Venerables teaming up couldn't trap a Void Venerable determined to flee.

"Time to withdraw."

Noticing Chen Mu's triumph and smooth getaway, Wutian Venerable acted without hesitation, his gaze sharpening as he unleashed a burst of dark glow, clashing briefly with three Venerables before pulling back swiftly into the far reaches.

Armed with a Great Dao Treasure, he could just manage to hold off four Single Vein Venerables but lacked the means to break away. Facing three, he was still overpowered yet had enough power to slip free.

"Heh, game's over for you lot."

At that sight, Beast Divine Venerable laughed lightly, and in a heartbeat, his form compressed and curled up, the massive Beast God Dharma Form dissolving, shifting into a minuscule mosquito that then vanished into the swirling chaos.

The remaining Dao Venerables, in this moment, also fought to disengage from their rivals, pulling back rapidly from the fray, regrouping with Chen Mu, Wutian Venerable, and the team, before bolting off into the horizon, abandoning the space-time vortex in a blink.

"..."

"They pulled it off once more."

"That Wutian fellow with his Great Dao Treasure, alongside a Void Venerable—such a headache."

With Chen Mu and Wutian Venerable already gone, chasing further proved pointless. The other two squads of Dao Venerables, who had hurried to the whirlpool's edge, shared looks and could only sigh in defeat.

Each of those squads numbered six strong, putting them short on numbers. So when Wutian Venerable's crew showed up, they merged forces right away, but even united, they couldn't stop Wutian Venerable's side from grabbing the Great Dao Wondrous Object by force.

Wutian Venerable's crew, while not the top force among the Source Sea explorers, held solid ground. With eight members in sync, bolstered by Wutian Venerable's raw power and Chen Mu's Void Venerable edge, their agility shone through.

"Withdraw."

"We'll hunt for other chances."

No matter their reluctance, the Dao Venerables had no choice but to depart, resigned to the outcome.

...

Meanwhile,

once clear of the space-time vortex, Wutian Venerable and his companions, retreating across billions of miles, reached a serene spot and halted at last, their eyes turning to Chen Mu with hints of anticipation.

"Chen, what's the deal with that Time Wondrous Object?"

"Show it to us, quick!"

Beast Divine Venerable beamed and urged.

Their squad moved with sharp strategy, steady in push and pull, and fortune favored them. Since diving into the Source Sea, they'd swiftly nabbed a Venerable Level Exotic Beast corpse, then claimed a Void Treasure, followed by taking down four Venerable Level Exotic Beasts in a row, and snaring two Creation Great Dao Wondrous Objects.

And this time, another Great Dao Wondrous Object secured—and one from the Time Lineage at that!

Time, Void, Creation: artifacts from three distinct Daos, and they'd collected the set!

While landing the matching Great Dao Wondrous Objects didn't ensure mastering the Dao, it offered vital guidance and paths for study, way ahead of blind guessing. Even without settling the final split of these treasures, and regardless of their exact portions, it laid groundwork for delving and understanding.

Swoosh.

Chen Mu stayed composed, saying little, as he casually turned his hand, revealing the gourd-shaped Time Wondrous Object in his hold, strands of Light of Time drifting from it.

Wutian Venerable and Beast Divine Venerable locked eyes on it at once, diving into time's enigmas.

On this occasion,

Beyond Wutian Venerable and the group, Chen Mu himself stared at the Time Wondrous Object, its form echoing in his sight. Through his view, the gourd's shape unraveled into intricate, arcane time laws, weaving together into a flawless framework that matched the full Time Dao on the system panel, cross-verifying in his thoughts.

Right then, Chen Mu sensed endless insights bursting forth, as he shattered barrier after barrier, his mastery of the Time Dao advancing steadily.

It felt like mere moments, or perhaps endless ages, until Chen Mu's frame trembled, his eyes mirroring the entire Time Dao, as though casting a spectral outline of the River of Time in his Dao form.

The Time Dao, fully grasped!