Chapter 1354: Beyond Time (End)

Chapter 1354: Beyond Time (Finale)

Time flowed.

Three centuries had passed since Wanggu.

In these three hundred years, Wanggu remained tranquil; the world knew no more anomalies. And the gods of Wanggu—most of them—had departed three centuries ago, upon Xu Qing’s return.

Few remained.

After the disappearance of the Divine Sovereign, the entire divine order of the Ninth Star Ring had dissolved.

Only Shang Huang endured.

He still hung high above Wanggu—the complete visage, eyes perpetually closed.

As for those familiar to Xu Qing, each had met their own fate and fortune over these centuries. Qi Ye, due to the peculiar nature of his cultivation method and having reached the end of his path, once again chose as he always had…

To re-enter reincarnation.

But this time, he did not enter Wanggu’s cycle.

He went to Hou Tu—to be reborn there.

Such was his Dao.

Having made this decision, he told Xu Qing:

“We shall meet again in the future.”

Xu Qing would never stand in his way. He nodded silently, then personally escorted Qi Ye to Hou Tu, watching as his friend vanished into the Hou Tu Star Ring. With profound reverence, Xu Qing bowed deeply.

Afterward, Xu Qing journeyed to Huang Tian.

There, he gazed upon his eldest senior brother, still deep in slumber.

With his current cultivation and wisdom, Xu Qing now held at least a faint inkling of his senior brother’s origins.

“Unrelated to the Primordial Mother Star… Eldest brother must be connected to the Umbilical Cord of Divinity.”

Murmuring softly, Xu Qing turned and left Huang Tian, returning to Zhaoxia Mountain.

There, he continued the advancement he had pursued for three centuries.

The realm of Immortal Sovereign—he had already brushed against its threshold.

True unification through the merging of the Twin Stars marked the path to Immortal Sovereignhood.

Yet the time required was immeasurably long.

But Xu Qing was in no hurry.

Indeed, he did not immerse himself wholly in cultivation. Instead, with a tranquil heart, he quietly savored life—sharing the passage of seasons, spring through winter, with Zi Xuan.

Year after year.

Many years later, on a certain day,

On Zhaoxia Mountain, Xu Qing listened with a gentle smile as Zi Xuan recounted their first meeting long ago. Suddenly, his heart stirred. He lifted his gaze toward the heavens.

In the next instant, though his body remained on Zhaoxia Mountain, another self of his appeared atop the celestial vault—before the ever-hanging Shang Huang.

Gazing at Shang Huang’s closed eyes, Xu Qing sat cross-legged and waited in silence.

Until, after several dozen breaths…

For the first time in a thousand years, the motionless Shang Huang slowly opened his eyes!

No longer one crimson, one void—as in days past.

Now, clarity shone within those eyes as they looked upon Xu Qing.

“You’ve awakened,” Xu Qing said calmly.

Shang Huang remained silent. After a long while, a thunderous roar echoed throughout all of Wanggu.

Had one observed Wanggu from the starry void beyond, one would clearly have seen Shang Huang’s spine—once coiled like a centipede around the entirety of Wanggu—now unfurling!

In an instant, it fully stretched out, no longer encircling, but rapidly shrinking.

Along with Shang Huang’s complete face!

Everything—vanished in a mere moment!

On this day, at this very moment, every soul in Wanggu trembled profoundly within.

For the fragmented visage that had hung in their skies since time immemorial… was gone!

And in the firmament before Xu Qing now stood a figure.

Clad in black robes, long black hair flowing, seated cross-legged opposite Xu Qing. He raised his head, revealing a face strikingly similar to Xu Qing’s own.

“All these years, my presence has brought trouble to you and your world. This is the karmic fire of my fate—and it shall forever accompany me.”

“Thus, on the day I ascended as a god, I swore a divine oath: every being who perished because of me shall, in the future, rise to glory alongside me!”

The figure spoke softly.

Xu Qing studied the figure before him intently.

“Should I call you Zi Qing… or Shang Huang?”

“I do not know who I am myself. Perhaps Shang Huang, perhaps Zi Qing—or perhaps a fusion of both consciousnesses. But I prefer the name Zi Qing.”

Zi Qing smiled gently at Xu Qing.

“Then… can you tell me now—what is my origin?”

Xu Qing asked calmly.

A depth of unfathomable insight flickered in Zi Qing’s eyes.

“Do you truly wish to know?”

Xu Qing nodded.

Zi Qing fell silent. After a long pause, he lifted his gaze toward the distant void.

His voice seemed to drift from the depths of time itself, echoing in Xu Qing’s ears.

“Your fusion has reached its culmination. At any moment now, you may complete the final step of the Ascending Star Ring.”

“Whether it be the path of Divine Sovereign or your own path of Immortal Sovereign—there is no true distinction of stages. Only the strength of one’s comprehension of Authority. In a sense… when you arrive, you simply arrive.”

“This is the limit of Ascension.”

“But it is not the limit for us—or for the many who came before. According to the most ancient records of the Gui Realm, beyond our current realm lies yet a higher tier.”

“The Gui Realm calls it… Gui Ming.”

“The present-day Ascenders name it Divine Sovereign.”

“And your cultivators, in time, will give it a special title: Xi Yi—the very essence of the Dao.”

Having spoken thus, Zi Qing withdrew his gaze from the distant void and fixed it upon Xu Qing.

Xu Qing regarded Zi Qing thoughtfully, then slowly opened his mouth.

“To reach the level you speak of, there is only one path—leave Shangxing and walk the God’s Umbilical Cord!”

Upon hearing this, Zi Qing nodded.

“The name ‘God’s Umbilical Cord’ originates from the Realm of Guǐ. In the age when the Guǐ ruled supreme, it was known as the ‘Umbilical Cord of Anomalies.’”

“It is the sole way out of Shangxing. Only by treading that path may one pursue a higher realm.”

“And I… once walked to its deepest point…”

“That journey was also my ascension—or rather, every soul who steps onto the God’s Umbilical Cord begins their own ascension the moment they enter.”

“If one can truly walk all the way through, they shall become a god.”

“And I… was but a single step away.”

Zi Qing sighed softly.

“Does this concern me?” Xu Qing suddenly asked.

Zi Qing’s gaze deepened further, and he slowly nodded.

“At the very heart of the God’s Umbilical Cord, I saw a corridor lined with countless doors—each door representing a Sovereign God or a Sovereign Guǐ!”

“With every new Sovereign born into this world, another door appears there.”

Hearing this, Xu Qing’s eyes narrowed sharply.

Zi Qing continued, his voice low and resonant.

“One must carve their name upon a door, push it open, and step through… only then can true ascension be achieved.”

“At the far end of that corridor sits a throne—and upon it… a man. In his hand rests a violet crystal. Beside him lie the skeletal remains of a woman and a withered blue worm—both long dead.”

“He sat there alone, shrouded in antiquity so profound it seemed to stretch back to the age of the Guǐ Realm itself. I knew not who he was—but the instant I saw him, two words arose unbidden in my mind: Si Yu!”

“He was on the verge of death, while I stood at my peak. He barred me from inscribing my name, and so between us erupted a battle unto death!”

“In that clash, I was defeated—I barely escaped with my shattered remains. Yet neither did he truly win…”

“For he entered final dissolution right there, at the deepest heart of the God’s Umbilical Cord.”

“And before his passing, using the force of my retreat, he sent forth… a possibility.”

“Even now, as I recall it, perhaps he stopped me precisely because he himself had already reached the end—and my arrival gave him hope. Thus, after my defeat, instead of slaying me, he deliberately let me go… so that I might carry away that one possibility of his.”

“That possibility merged with my own—and together, they journeyed to Huangtian’s primal homeworld.”

“And became… you.”

Zi Qing looked directly at Xu Qing.

Xu Qing remained silent. These words stirred ripples deep within his soul.

He thought of his violet crystal, of the corridor hidden in the depths of his spirit, of that solitary throne…

Most of all, he thought of the woman’s bones and the blue worm Zi Qing had described…

After a long while…

Zi Qing rose to his feet.

“Now that I have awakened, I must continue along the God’s Umbilical Cord.”

“This time, no one will stand in my way. And you… will you see me off?”

Zi Qing smiled as he spoke.

Xu Qing listened, then slowly nodded.

…

The God’s Umbilical Cord may manifest anywhere within Shangxing’s stellar rings.

But to open it requires the willing self-unfolding of Shangxing’s own will—something it deeply resists.

Yet for Zi Qing, this posed no obstacle. The moment he chose to walk the God’s Umbilical Cord within the Eighth Stellar Ring, the ring’s will trembled of its own accord—and willingly opened itself to him.

A vast vortex emerged.

It was the entrance to the God’s Umbilical Cord.

Zi Qing made no attempt to conceal his departure. Thus, on the day he left… every Sovereign God across all of Shangxing’s stellar rings appeared.

This included the Colossus Beasts and the Black Spire.

They understood: if Shang Huang wished to intervene, their presence or absence would change nothing. So they chose to face it with composure.

Among them were also the Immortal Sovereign of the Fifth Stellar Ring and Master Bai at his side.

Together with all the Sovereigns, they watched Zi Qing—and Xu Qing.

As Zi Qing approached the entrance of the God’s Umbilical Cord, he suddenly turned and spoke.

“Is there any among you who would walk this path with me?”

His voice sent tremors through the hearts of every Sovereign present.

They all knew the perils of the God’s Umbilical Cord—but it was also the road to a higher realm.

Those who had ascended to Sovereign status each possessed their own ambitions and courage.

If a chance existed, none would willingly accept stagnation.

Thus, this was an opportunity!

In the end… some Sovereigns, driven by their own needs and reflections, chose to follow Zi Qing into the God’s Umbilical Cord.

But most did not. They remained with Xu Qing, watching as the procession departed.

Xu Qing’s gaze lingered until the vortex of the God’s Umbilical Cord vanished entirely—only then did he slowly withdraw it.

He did not see the corridor Zi Qing had spoken of.

And one by one, the Sovereigns dispersed.

At the level of Sovereign Gods and Immortal Sovereigns, none would lightly strike against another. And before the God’s Umbilical Cord, the distinction between the paths of gods and cultivators seemed to fade into insignificance.

Still, before leaving, the Immortal Sovereign of the Fifth Stellar Ring and Master Bai exchanged a few parting words with Xu Qing.

Then they returned to their own ring.

As for Xu Qing, he went back to Zhaoxia Mountain, where Zi Xuan continued recounting tales of their first meeting long ago—his smile gentle and warm.

…

Time flowed ceaselessly onward.

Years passed without sound or trace.

The stories woven by time continued unfolding—one after another, event upon event. New cultivators rose; old ones met bitter ends.

The same held true for the gods.

Cycle after cycle, as if since time immemorial, the course of things had scarcely altered.

As for the God’s Umbilical Cord—it opened several more times in the ages that followed.

Each time, a Sovereign chose to depart, seeking the Divine!

Yet no one knew whether Zi Qing and the others of that era had succeeded—or whether those Sovereigns who later entered the Divine Umbilical Cord still lived.

Beyond Ascension lay something akin to beyond time itself—unknowable, unfathomable.

Until this year.

The third month. Jingzhe.

Er Niu awoke.

The moment he stirred, all of Huangtian thundered. The roar was so immense that his bold proclamations and laughter echoed throughout Wanggu.

“Little A Qing! Your senior brother is awake! I’m far stronger now than before—that so-called Zi Qing? Leave him to me!”

“And Canmian too—I…”

Arrogance blazed in Er Niu’s eyes as he spoke, his body already bursting through Huangtian, appearing in the skies above Wanggu. He raised a hand, pointing toward the heavens—precisely where Canmian once dwelled.

But in the next instant, his eyes widened. His voice cut off abruptly. He stared dumbfounded at the empty expanse above.

After a long pause, he whipped his head around, scanning the sky again and again…

“Uh… what’s going on? Where’s Canmian?”

“Senior brother…”

Xu Qing’s voice drifted from the void just as Er Niu stood bewildered.

Ripples spread across the sky. Xu Qing emerged, holding Zi Xuan’s hand, smiling gently at Er Niu.

Er Niu gaped at Xu Qing, then sucked in a sharp breath.

From Xu Qing radiated an aura far surpassing even that of a Sovereign—so profound it left him trembling.

“A Sovereign? An Immortal Sovereign?”

“What… what’s happening? How come after one nap, everything’s changed? Canmian’s gone from the sky? Zi Qing’s vanished too? And little A Qing’s become a Sovereign?”

Er Niu was utterly lost.

Xu Qing smiled warmly.

“Senior brother, I’ve waited for you a long time. I’m about to enter the Divine Umbilical Cord. Will you come with me?”

…

The Divine Umbilical Cord—after endless eons, and seven cycles since Zi Qing’s departure—opened once more.

This time, it manifested within the Ninth Stellar Ring.

The Immortal Sovereign and Master Bai came to bid farewell. They had chosen not to go.

Instead, they resolved to remain in the Ascendant Stellar Ring.

Thus, outside the swirling vortex of the Divine Umbilical Cord’s entrance, Xu Qing stood with Zi Xuan and Er Niu, gazing toward the Immortal Sovereign and Master Bai.

Master Bai gave a slight nod.

“Do you still remember my words from back then? ‘Heaven and Earth are but guesthouses for all beings; time is merely a traveler passing through eternity.’ Back then, you saw me off. Today, I see you off.”

“As long as we do not die, we shall meet again.”

Hearing this, Xu Qing bowed deeply to Master Bai.

Then he turned back toward Wanggu.

With a sweep of his hand, he gathered countless true souls from memory—including those of his own parents.

Having done so, resolve hardened in his eyes as he looked to Zi Xuan and Er Niu.

Zi Xuan gave a gentle nod, nestled protectively within Xu Qing’s presence.

Er Niu transformed into a blue worm, crawling onto Xu Qing’s shoulder and shouting boastfully:

“Let’s go! It’s just some rotten umbilical cord—let’s see if there’s anything tasty inside!”

Xu Qing chuckled, hesitation gone. He stepped forward—into the vortex.

Into the Divine Umbilical Cord.

In pursuit of a higher realm… Xi Yi!

“I don’t know how many times this has happened before—but this time, I will surely succeed!”

—

The End.

Regarding the people of Wanggu: I wished to flesh out each of their stories more richly, but constraints of length, concerns over pacing complaints, and my own update schedule have limited me.

Therefore, for deeper insights into these characters of Wanggu, please refer to the multiple epilogue chapters following the conclusion.

I will elaborate thoroughly in those epilogues—and they will be free to read.